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 for residents within the Summit Fire & EMS Fire Protection District and the Heeney-based Lower Blue Fire Protection District.

Permits for properties outside those boundaries whose owners have not elected to join the fire district – primarily in the Lower Blue River valley north of Silverthorne – will be subjected to a $25 fee, payable in the link below.

An Inspector will contact you for next steps.