Fire Permits

fire department patch

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...

  1. be on an area cleaned to mineral soil at least 8 inches across;
  2. have at least 6 inches of sand or gravel under the fire for any fire built on the ground;
  3. have no limbs or other combustible materials to a height of 10 feet above the fire area; and
  4. 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.

Web Links

www.nhfirepermit.com