Helpful Links

• BOSS Administration Homepage
• PBC Health Dept.
• Division of Forestry: Everglades Division

Services Provided

• Open Burning Permits
• Insurance Verifications
• Code Interpretation
• Board Of Appeals and Adjustments

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Bureau of Safety Services - Administration: Burn Permits

Open burning permits are required for commercial, residential, and agricultural land clearing purposes. As a courtesy to the public, applications for open burning permits are available at all Palm Beach County Fire Rescue stations. To find your local Palm Beach County Fire Rescue location, use our fire station map.

All sites used for commercial and residential land clearing must be approved by the Palm Beach County Health Department, Air Pollution Division. Once the PBCHD approves the burn site, they will issue a Letter of Authorization. This completed letter will be needed in order to obtain your Open Burning Permit from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue.

The Division of Forestry is responsible for the oversight of prescribed burns for habitat/ecosystem management and burning incidental to other continuous agricultural activities.

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue reviews daily weather forecasts and depending on the fire danger, burning may or may not be allowed. When you are issued a burn permit, you will be given instructions on how to find out if you are allowed to burn. If you have any questions, please call us at 5617127030.

Certain fires defined as recreational, ceremonial, religious, cooking, etc. do not require open-burning permits. However, requirements do apply to ensure such fires do not create an undue fire hazard. "Backyard burning" is not permitted in Palm Beach County, therefore recreational fires are not permitted as a means of disposing of yard debris.

Recreational Fires (camp fires, cooking fires, fires for warmth of outdoor workers)
Persons wishing to have a recreational fire may do so, providing the following conditions apply:

• May burn only untreated wood, may not burn trash, treated wood or yard debris.
• Must be attended at all times
• Must have a means of extinguishment immediately available
• Must be fully extinguished when not attended
• Fires may not be larger than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet high
• Must not create an undue fire hazard or excessive amounts of smoke
• Fires within 25 feet of a structure or other combustible materials must be in an appropriate container such as a fire bowl, chiminea or other burn container.

Ceremonial Fires (bon fires, fires for religious purposes)
The Fire Marshal can issue a letter for such events, detailing the requirements for burning to be permitted and requiring the affected station to be notified of the burn. The requirements for ceremonial fires are similar to those of recreational fires. However, the fires may be requested to be larger than that permitted for recreational fires. For that reason a site inspection by the Battalion/District Chief or affected Station Officer may be necessary. Additionally, at the discretion of the Battalion/District Chief, a unit may be required to stand-by on the scene during such events.

• Maximum size of the fire should be dictated by the site, setbacks, extinguishment capabilities, fire department access, weather conditions at the time of the burning, etc.
• May burn only untreated wood, may not burn trash, treated wood or yard debris
• Must be attended at all times
• Must have a means of extinguishment immediately available
• Must be fully extinguished when not attended
• Must not create excessive amounts of smoke
• Fires within 25 feet of a structure or other combustible materials must be in an appropriate container such as a fire bowl, chiminea or other burn container.

Burn Ban
Recreational or ceremonial fires are not permitted when a county-wide burn ban is issued by Fire Rescue or the Division of Forestry due to dry conditions and/or elevated fire danger.