Outdoor Burning Opens March 1 in Missoula County
Posted on February 27, 2026
The General, Essential Agriculture and Prescribed Wildland Outdoor Burning Seasons open on Sunday, March 1, in Missoula County. If you are planning to burn any natural vegetation or untreated wood from your property, you must purchase an outdoor burn permit and activate it the day you plan to burn. Permits cost $7 annually and can be purchased or renewed online at burn.egovmt.com or in person at most local fire protection agencies.
Within Missoula city limits, parcels must be at least one acre or more in size to be eligible for an outdoor burn permit; recreational fires are banned year-round in city limits. Only natural vegetation and untreated wood generated on site can be burned with a permit. Additionally, inside the Missoula Air Stagnation Zone (an area that stretches about four miles outside Missoula city limits), it is illegal to burn piles of leaves and grasses because of the excessive and irritating smoke that it produces. If you are within the Air Stagnation Zone, dispose of leaves and grass by composting them or delivering them to a facility such as Garden City Compost. Dumping of any type of yard debris on public lands is prohibited.
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