10/15/2026
Burn Permits Are Required Starting Today, October 15th and What You Should Know About Open Burns in Jasper Highlands
We get a lot of questions about the rules for open burning of lot clearing, yard, and landscape waste here in the Highlands. Safety is critical, as our grasslands and forests can easily become a forest fire if a burn is not managed appropriately.
If you are planning an open burn:
1. Go online to BurnSafeTN.org to see if there are any burn bans in place and if not, to obtain the online permit from the Tennessee Department of Forestry. Permits are required from October 15 through May 15 only. Permits are free and good for the day of the burn only.
2. Notify Rich Hahn, JHVFD Assistant Fire Chief at 908-208-2711. Rich will send out a text message to all firefighters on the mountain notifying us of your burn location, which gives us a valuable head start in the event of an escalation. Don’t be shy, just give him a call. We’re all in this together.
3. Notify your neighbors. No one likes fire surprises, especially if they don’t have direct visibility of the fire and you standing watch over it.
4. No unattended fires. If you cannot stay with the fire from start to finish, DO NOT BURN. Make certain the fire is properly extinguished. Don’t leave your fire until it is completely out and cold, regardless of the time of day. This requirement not only applies to homeowners but also to contractors conducting debris fires while land clearing. Use plenty of water, douse the embers and mix them with dirt until they are cool and safe. Brush and debris piles can appear to be burned out, but a gust of wind can fan embers causing them to flame or blow across control lines. Within minutes a calm situation can become a wildfire! If you see an unattended fire, call 911 immediately.
5. Be weather aware. On the mountain, the wind is unpredictable and can change at a moment’s notice, so be prepared. Approaching fronts and thunderstorms may change wind directions and generate strong gusts. Outdoor burning should be postponed when winds are high, relative humidities are low, and wind gusts are predicted. Even if you have a permit, you should stop burning if a strong wind comes up. Winds may not only carry burning embers into surrounding vegetation but also fan the flames making the burn difficult to control.
6. Mornings and early evenings are usually good times to burn because winds are calmer and the relative humidity is higher. Be sure to complete your burn early enough that your smoke will disperse and not become a health or roadway hazard.
7. Keep a shovel and rake nearby, and stretch a hose charged with water to the burn area.
8. Clear an area at least five feet around the fire to bare soil.
9. Control the fire. Your fire is your responsibility! You may be liable for any damages your fire and smoke cause to other people’s property! Be sure you have enough help. Don’t try to burn more than you can handle by yourself. Keep debris piles small, gradually adding to the fires as they burn down. Large piles of burning debris generate intense heat capable of carrying relatively heavy embers up and across your bare soil perimeter.
10. Select a burn location away from overhanging tree branches and overhead and underground utility lines. Intense heat from a fire could ignite the leaves of trees or cause damage to branches and tree trunks. It could also damage utility lines, which would be personally expensive while making you unpopular with your impacted neighbors!
11. If the fire seems out of control, always err on the side of caution and call 911 immediately.
As Smokey the Bear has told us for years, “Only you can prevent forest fires!”
Call 911 for all emergencies!
Our team is proud to protect the Highlands!
And remember, be safe out there!
Have a non-emergency question? Facebook Message us or email us at [email protected]. Want to join us? Call Assistant Chief Rich Hahn at 908-208-2711. Want to participate in the Auxiliary? Call Dave Harp at 630-215-7330. Check out our NEW and IMPROVED website at jasperhighlandsfd.com. Follow and like the Jasper Highlands Fire Department on Facebook for the latest news! Protecting the Highlands since 2016.
