Fire Permits are broken down into Four Categories:
Category I Fire –
A small controlled fire, such as a camp or cooking fire.
Must be contained within a ring of fire resistive material or in a portable fire place
Cannot be greater than 2 feet in diameter.
Must be at least 25 feet from a structure.
When conditions allow, a Category I Fire may be kindled at any time of day whether raining or not.
Category I permits may be issued as a seasonal permit, but may be suspended if the Forest Fire Warden determines fire conditions to be too high.
Category II Fire –
A controlled fire, such as a camp or cooking fire.
Must be contained within a ring of fire resistive material or in a portable fire place.
Cannot be greater than 4 feet in diameter.
Must be at least 50 feet from a structure.
When conditions allow, a Category II Fire may only be kindled between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. unless it is actually raining.
Category II permits may be issued as a seasonal permit, but may be suspended if the Forest Fire Warden determines fire conditions to be too high.
Category III Fire –
A controlled fire greater than 4 feet in diameter or a controlled fire not contained within a ring of fire resistive material.
Must be at least 50 feet from a structure.
When conditions allow, a Category III Fire may only be kindled between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. unless it is actually raining.
Category III permits are typically issued for no more than one to three days depending on weather conditions.
Category IV Fire –
A controlled fire larger than a Category I Fire.
May be kindled during the day between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. even if it is not raining.
The permittee must comply with additional, special provisions to qualify for a Category IV Permit.
A Category IV Permit is issued jointly between the Forest Ranger and the Forest Fire Warden.