10/16/2026
From Oct. 15 through May 15, a FREE burn permit from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry (TDF) is required to burn yard debris or conduct prescribed fires.
🧑💻 Online permits are issued 7 days a week, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. local time at BurnSafeTN.org.
📞 Permits may also be obtained over the phone by calling 877-350-BURN (2876), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time.
🔥 Permits are valid until midnight on the day they are obtained, so plan to obtain a permit the day you plan to burn.
Why permits matter:
🔥 Tennessee experiences approximately 1,000 wildfires each year during fire season, which is from mid-October to mid-May. This is when fire risk is highest in the state.
‼️ Most fires are caused by human activity, including burning under unsafe conditions.
📣 Burn permits are our way of communicating with you about when and where it is safe enough to burn during fire season.
How do we decide when to temporarily pause issuing permits?
📈 Every day during fire season, TDF's expert fire professionals analyze many fire weather data points, using a tool customized to Tennessee's wildfire fuels.
➡️ Based on that data analysis and on conditions on the ground, a decision is made every morning at the local level about whether it is safe enough to burn that day.
🔥 If fire danger is too high that day, we will temporarily pause issuing permits. Once conditions improve, we will resume issuing permits.
Learn more about how to burn safely and what is legal to burn by visiting BurnSafeTN.org.
