The Municipality of Skagway requires burn permits before open burning occurs. This is to help aide in communications when Municipal dispatch receives calls for reports of smoke.

By having your permit and calling dispatch before you burn, we can isolate reports requiring a fire response or smoke created by permit holders utilizing their burn permit.

Click the buttons below to apply for your burn permit.

Small Scale and Large Scale burns differ, so make sure you read the information below to know what you’re applying for.

If you have any questions or need clarification, please call us at (907)983-2450.

Burning Guidelines:

• Municipal fire rings, or commercially made fire pits/chimeneas that elevate the fire off the ground do not require a burn permit, as the fire is contained and off the ground.

• Open burning, is a fire burning on the ground, and this type of burn must be limited to ordinary combustibles such as paper, wood debris, or natural fibers

• It is unlawful to conduct the open burning of trash, construction scraps, treated lumber, petroleum products, oily waste, hazardous materials, animal carcasses, or any other materials that may produce black smoke or creates a danger to public health and safety

  • The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) approval is required for the above types of burns.  Commercial Companies are also encouraged to contact the ADEC before their burn takes place. 

  • Phone: (907)269-3071 Anchorage / (907)465-5108 Juneau

• It is unlawful to conduct open burning during a burn permit suspension or burn ban

• No person may engage in the open burning of any material, except as authorized by a valid open burning permit and complies with the following requirements:

o   The attendant has obtained a Municipality of Skagway small or large scale burn permit

o   The attendant has notified the Municipal Dispatch before using their burn permit (starting their burn): (907)983-2232.

o   The attendant must observe all burning restrictions

o   The attendant has a sufficient water supply and hose/buckets to extinguish the open burn; or is equipped with firefighting tool(s) such as a shovels, heavy duty rakes, etc.

Burn permits are issued in accordance with the Skagway Municipal Code 1508055 and accepted on condition that all applicable laws and ordinances will be complied with

Small Scale Burns: 

Camping, Cooking, and Warming Fires:

• Maximum of three feet in diameter and no taller than two feet

• Cleared area for five feet around the fire down to mineral soil

• Use an established campfire ring or make a ring with rocks

• Municipal fire rings, or commercially made fire pits/chimeneas that elevate the fire off the ground do not require a burn permit.

• Barbeque grills also do not require a burn permit

Burn Barrels:

• Circular, outdoor metal drum, in good condition, with no more than a 55 gallon capacity

• Metal mesh cover on top in good condition, with mesh openings no larger than 5/8"

• At least three evenly spaced 3" square holes covered with metal mesh along the bottom

• Situated on top of non-burnable materials

• At least 6 feet of ground cleared to mineral soil extending to all sides of the barrel

 Small Pile Debris Burns:

• Maximum of ten feet in diameter and four feet tall

• Only ONE pile burning at a time

• At least 10 feet of ground cleared to mineral soil extending to all sides of the pile

Large Scale Burns:

Large Pile Debris Burns:

• Any large scale burns of piles greater than ten feet diameter and four feet tall require a Large Scale Burn Permit

• Area must be cleared of combustibles on all sides of the pile, three times the diameter of the pile (example: a 20 foot diameter pile must have 60 feet cleared in directions from combustibles)

• Extinguishing options must be on site, i.e. heavy machinery, water source ready for application

• Only ONE pile burning at a time

• Fire Department personnel will inspect the burn area before a large scale burn permit is granted

Burn Restrictions

The SFD determines burn restrictions based on the Fire Weather Conditions posted on the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center website. The current fire conditions take into account precipitation, fuel moisture, drought code, and other indices to arrive at a global determination of fire danger.

A Total Burn Ban prohibits open burning anywhere within the Municipality of Skagway to include campfires. Total Burn Bans will be in effect whenever a red flag warning is issued from the National Weather Service.

Burn Permit Suspensions will be issued whenever fire weather conditions are very high or extreme. Details on each suspension will be posted in the Public Notice and circulated throughout the community and social media.

Burn Suspensions will be removed once fire danger drops to moderate or below.

Burn bans will be removed once the red flag warning expires.