Fire Permits
Permits are available at the Henniker Fire Station on Maple Street (Rte. 114), Monday - Friday, 7 am - 5 pm or online at www.nhfirepermit.com.
Nights and weekends call the on-call fire warden at (603) 848-5079.
- The permitee must be 18 years of age or older.
- The permitee must be the landowner or have the landowner's written permission.
- The permitee must have adequate suppression equipment to control the fire.
- "Snow covered ground" means the area within a 100 foot radius from the fire edge is covered with snow sufficient to prevent the combustion of woodland fuels until the fire is completely extinguished.
- "Raining" means sustained precipitation that is actively occurring of sufficient intensity and duration so as to prevent fire from spreading to woodland fuels.
Category I Permits
A "category I" fire is a small controlled fire, such as a camp or cooking fire, no greater that 2 feet in diameter and contained within a ring of fire-resistive materials or in a portable fireplace.
When: Any time (no time restrictions).
What: The material to be burned must be clean, untreated wood or brush less than 5 inches in diameter.
Where: Category I fires must be at least 25 feet from any structures.
Additional requirements for campgrounds and picnic areas are that they...
- be on an area cleaned to mineral soil at least 8 inches across;
- have at least 6 inches of sand or gravel under the fire for any fire built on the ground;
- have no limbs or other combustible materials to a height of 10 feet above the fire area; and
- have a ring of fire-resistive material constructed so it cannot be moved from the mineral soil area.
Seasonal permits are allowed.
Category II Permits
A "category II" fire is a small controlled fire, such as a camp or cooking fire, no greater that 4 feet in diameter and contained within a ring of fire-resistive materials or in a portable fireplace.
When: A category II fire can only be used between the hours of 5:00 pm and 9:00 am unless it is actively raining or the ground is snow covered.
What: The material to be burned must be clean, untreated wood or brush less than 5 inches in diameter.
Where: Category II fires must be at least 50 feet from any structures.
Seasonal permits are allowed.
Category III Permits
A "category III" fire is any fire other than a category I or II, or a fire greater than 4 feet in diameter or not contained within a ring of fire-resistive material. Most brush fires will fall into this category.
When: A category III fire can only be used between the hours of 5:00 pm and 9:00 am unless it is actively raining or the ground is snow covered.
What: The material to be burned must be clean, untreated wood or brush less than 5 inches in diameter.
Where: Category III fires must be at least 50 feet from any structures.
Seasonal permits NOT allowed.
Category IV Permits
A "category IV" fire is a fire, other than a category I fire, that can be kindled between the hours of 5:00 pm and 9:00 am whether raining or not. This is a commercial permit.
When: A category IV fire permit must be jointly issued by a forest ranger and a forest fire warden. An authorized issuing agent may be used in lieu of a forest fire warden.
What: The material to be burned must be clean, untreated wood or brush less than 5 inches in diameter.
Where: Category IV fires must be at least 50 feet from any structures.
Seasonal permits are allowed.