Alaska Burn Permit: Do You Need One and When
Alaska requires a state burn permit for burn barrels, lawn burns and brush piles anywhere in the state from April 1 through August 31, you get it free-standing from the Division of Forestry's burn permit site by fire area, it lasts the calendar year, and you check the alerts page for a suspension or closure before you light.
Do you need a burn permit in Alaska?
Yes, and the state issues it
Alaska requires a state burning permit, and its dates say when a permit is required, not when burning is allowed.
- Who issues it
- Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry & Fire Protection
- Issued by
- the state's own burn permit website, by fire area
- How long it lasts
- the calendar year it was issued, and only for one burn at a time
Burn Permits are required in Alaska from April 1st to August 31st. *Burn permits are required state-wide unless area is covered by a more stringent local or federal permit. Small Scale Burn Permits are required for burn barrels, burning a maintained lawn of less than 1 acre, and a brush pile of organic material not exceeding 10 feet in diameter by 4 feet in height.The Burn Permit Program, Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry & Fire Protection, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
Where you get one
- Online
- Division of Forestry office
Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry & Fire Protection's permit system
When you may burn in Alaska
Alaska is one of the states where a pair of dates on its own gives the wrong answer. What follows is the rule in the agency's own words, with the shape of the season named above it.
A permit season, not a burning season
Alaska does not close burning for part of the year, but the state only issues burn permits from April 1 through August 31, so that is the window in which a permit is both available and required.
- Who sets it
- Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry & Fire Protection
- Checked against
- Frequently Asked Questions, Burn Permits, Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection
Do I need a permit in the winter? DOF only issues burn permits from April 1 through August 31 of each year. However, safe and courteous burning practices must be followed year-round.Frequently Asked Questions, Burn Permits, Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
- AlaskaA permit season, not a burning season
Alaska does not close burning for part of the year, but the state only issues burn permits from April 1 through August 31, so that is the window in which a permit is both available and required.
What you may and may not burn in Alaska
What the state names as burnable
- stumps
- branches
- logs
- leaf, needle, and branches litter
- grass
- untreated lumber
- paper
- cardboard
What it names as off the pile
- asphalts
- rubber products
- plastics
- tars
- oils
- oily wastes
- contaminated oil cleanup materials
- putrescible garbage
- animal carcasses
- petroleum-based materials
Natural materials are "composed of any recently living plant matter, including stumps; branches; logs; leaf, needle, and branches litter, grass, untreated lumber, paper; and cardboard." ( 11 AAC 95.495 )Frequently Asked Questions, Burn Permits, Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
What Alaska asks of the weather and the site
Setbacks, wind limits and what has to be on hand. These are written into the rule rather than offered as advice.
- one burn at a time on a permit; put the barrel or pile out cold before lighting another
- sign and date the permit before burning and keep it where a firefighter or officer can see it
- clear the ground before starting a fire
- stay with it and put it out completely; you own the fire until it is cold
- a campfire needs 5 feet of cleared area around it and water close by
Small- and Large-scale permits only allow for a single burn at a time. If you are burning in your barrel, you need to extinguish it before burning a pile. If you are a burning a pile, it must be extinguished and be cold to the touch before igniting a second pile.Frequently Asked Questions, Burn Permits, Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
What to check before you light in Alaska
A permit or a season says you may burn in general. What says you may burn today is separate, it changes daily on a wind and humidity forecast, and it overrides a permit already in hand. In Alaska it is published here.
the state's active burn permit suspensions and emergency burn closures, listed by area
Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry & Fire Protection
Burn Permit Suspensions: prohibit any burning that requires a small- or large-scale permit. This includes burn barrels, debris piles, and lawn burns.Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry & Fire Protection, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
What your town can add in Alaska
A town or borough may run its own burn permit, and where that local permit is at least as strict as the state's you do not need the state one as well.
My town/municipality has its own burn permit. Do I also need a DOF permit? If local permit is at least as stringent as the DOF permit, then no additional DOF permit is required.The Burn Permit Program, Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry & Fire Protection, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
Alaska burn permit questions
Alaska rules read September 23, 2026 from The Burn Permit Program, Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry & Fire Protection. Rules change, a county or town may be stricter than the state, and a burn ban issued today overrides a season that is otherwise open. Every state is on the burn permit hub.