Outdoor burning rules in Jefferson County, CO — also called the burn ban, open burning, or fire restriction ordinance — set when you can burn yard waste, debris, or run a recreational fire.
Open burning in unincorporated Jeffco requires an Open Burn Permit from Jefferson County Public Health, issued only for agricultural or forest-management burning at 6,400 feet elevation and above. Permits cost $80 and are never issued during a fire restriction or ban.
Jefferson County Public Health regulates open burning. Permits are issued only for "agricultural and forest management burning located at 6,400 feet or above only"; below that elevation, yard debris is treated as household rubbish and cannot be burned. Applications go through the Public Health Portal, cost $80, and take 10–15 working days to process. Most fire departments allow burning only when snow cover is present, and burners must check air-quality forecasts and red-flag warnings. Critically, Public Health "will not issue or approve any Open Burn Permits during a Fire Restriction (Stage One) or a Fire Ban (Stage Two)" declared by the Sheriff. Tree slash should be chipped or hauled to slash-collection sites rather than burned.
Burning without a required permit, or during a fire restriction, is unlawful open burning subject to Sheriff enforcement and fines up to $600.
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See how Jefferson County's outdoor burning rules stack up against other locations.
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