Mesa County Public Health is now accepting residential burn-permit applications. The spring burn season started March 1 and runs through April 30 for the City of Grand Junction, and through May 31 for the rest of Mesa County.

Mesa County Public Health issues permits for everyone in the county, including those within city limits. Within the city limits of Grand Junction, agricultural burning is permitted only during the designated spring and fall seasons. Outside of the city, agricultural burning is allowed year-round.

Residential permits cost $25 and are valid during both designated burn seasons for the calendar year. All of the proceeds from the permits support local fire-protection districts. Agricultural burn permits are free.

The easiest way to obtain a permit is through Mesa County Public Health’s online system at apps.mesacounty.us/burnpermits. The permit will be emailed right after checkout. For assistance navigating the online portal, call 970-248-6900. You can apply in person at the Health and Human Services Building at 510 29 1/2 Road.

It is the burn-permit holder’s responsibility to make sure conditions are safe to burn before ignition. Burn permits are not valid if there is a red-flag warning, fire restriction or a no-burn advisory in place. Air-quality information can be found on the Mesa County website’s Air Quality page and makes tracking air-quality conditions and advisories easy to access.

Because open burning pollutes the air and poses a fire hazard, Mesa County Public Health encourages alternatives, such as composting or wood chipping, if possible. The Mesa County Organic Materials Composting Facility at Mesa County Solid Waste accepts organic materials like leaves, grass clippings, tree limbs, hay and straw. It is located at 3071 U.S. Highway 50.