NOTE: UNDER CURRENT STAGE 2 FIRE RESTRICTIONS IN SUMMIT COUNTY, ALL PERMITS FOR BACKYARD CAMPFIRES ARE TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED, AND NO NEW PERMITS WILL BE ISSUED. 

 

Under a fire-code amendment adopted by the Summit County Commissioners and each of the town councils, a permit is required in Summit County for all recreational (a.k.a. “backyard”) campfires that produce embers; permits are not required for gas fueled fire pits which have an on/off switch. 

Residents of the Summit Fire & EMS response area – including Copper Mountain, Dillon, Frisco, Keystone, Montezuma, Silverthorne and the unincorporated areas of Wildernest/Mesa Cortina and Summit Cove – can apply for a permit at Community Connect. Follow the prompts to create a profile for your home and apply for a permit under the “Burn Permit” category.

To receive a permit, you must meet all of the following conditions:

1. A fully enclosed fire pit with a steel mesh ember screen that goes over the top while you are burning. 
2. A garden hose attached to the spigot that reaches your fire pit, or a five-gallon bucket of water at the fire pit site, to extinguish the fire fully when you are done enjoying it.
3. A site for your fire pit that is safely clear of combustible materials, including grasses and other vegetation, overhead branches, wood/slash piles and structures.

The permit is free.

An Inspector will contact you for next steps.

Please note: Properties rented as short-term rentals as part of the Summit County STR program are ineligible to offer backyard campfires under admendments to the the 2024 International Fire Code adopted by Summit County and each of the towns.