Fire Permits Required

The State of New Hampshire requires all persons to obtain a fire permit before starting ANY outside fire unless the ground is covered with snow for an area at least 100 feet from where the fire will be. This must be done prior to starting the fire rain or shine.

To obtain a Fire Permit please contact/visit the following:

• Fire Warden Milton Norcross - (603) 252-2120
• Deputy Warden Jed Pike - Granite State Self Storage (603) 323-7074
  738 White Mtn. Hwy.Chocorua, NH, 03817
• Fire Chief Rich Colcord - Central Fire Station (603) 323-8874

Please remember to contact Carroll County Fire Dispatch at (603) 539-2284 before burning any brush pile. They will verify that you have a permit and whether or not it is permissible weather to burn that day.

Fire Danger Rating System

Category 1 Fire Permit:

Allows the kindling of a fire in an enclosure no bigger than 2 feet in diameter for the purposes of cooking a meal or recreation. After obtaining a permit, these fires may be started at any time. A campfire or cook fire requires a proper fire pit to be built. The fire pit must be at least 25 feet from any structure. It must be constructed on mineral earth or a sand bed. A ring of stone, firebrick, or metal must be completely surround the fire. Combustible material should be removed from an area 5 feet in diameter from the fire pit. A seasonal permit may be obtained for category 1 fires.

Category 2 Fire Permit:

Allows the kindling of a fire in an enclosure no bigger than 4 feet in diameter. All the rules of a category 3 fire apply to this type of permit. In addition, the fire must be constructed on mineral earth or sand and be completely surrounded by a ring of noncombustible material. These added safety features allow a landowner to obtain a seasonal permit for a category 2 fire pit.

Category 3 Fire Permit:

Allows the burning of brush up to 5 inches in diameter and clean, untreated lumber. NO painted, stained or pressure treated material may be burned. No plywood, cardboard or furniture may be burned. The pile should be of a size manageable to the individual burning it. It should be at least 50 feet from any building. A hose or some other means of fire control will need to be provided. Category 3 fires may only be burned between 5:00 PM and 9:00 AM or when it is raining. A permit is still required even if it is raining.

 A couple of other notes…

The State Division of Forests and Lands and the State Fire Marshals Office have determined that chimneas and other portable pottery or metal fireplaces constitute open burning and require a campfire permit. Gas and charcoal grills do not require permits, however cooking with charcoal in a dug pit does.

  To obtain one of these permits, you must be at least 18 years old and be the landowner or have written permission of the landowner.

For more information you can visit the NH Bureau of Forest and Lands