As performing a controlled burn may cause undesired problems (especially with the sometimes unpredictable weather in Wyoming), we would like our citizens to review and understand the Laramie County controlled burn guidlines located HERE. If you would like to conduct a control burn we ask that you follow the requirements for safe burning and proper reporting listed in the guidlines.

Another set of guidelines we fall under are the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality's. Per state regulations Chapter 10, Section 2, Open Burning pertains to most small-scale burns. Large Scale vegetative burning falls under the Smoke Management Program. Open burning restricts the burning of refuse, trade wastes, leaves and other vegetative material, fire hazards, and firefighter training. The aformentioned state regulation also covers exemptions for recreational burning, cooking of food, burning for warmth of human beings, branding of animals, and handheld fire extinguisher training.

The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality also would lke you to consider the following before burning:

• Allow people to make arrangements so that they can breathe more easily during the burn by contacting nearby businesses or other places where people congregate to let them know your plans.
• To minimize the impact from smoke, do not burn closer than 500 feet from another property.
• Conduct burning during daytime hours between one hour after sunrise and two hours before sunset.
• Check the wind direction and don’t begin your burn if wind would cause smoke to blow toward a neighboring residence, workplace or other place where people congregate.
• Don’t burn on very calm or cold days when there is likely to be an atmospheric inversion that will trap smoke near the ground.
• Burn in the morning when winds are minimal, so smoke will blow away with higher afternoon winds.
• Attend and observe the open burn at all times and take action (extinguish the burn or notify neighbors) if the smoke changes direction and may adversely impact neighbors. 

If you have any question in regards to the proper way to burn safely or the requirements, please visit the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality's Open Burning page here, or you can contact us at (307) 632-1696.