New burn permits required starting next month

As winter rolls reluctantly into spring, residents of the Kenai Peninsula have another item to add to their to do list: get an updated burn permit.

The Alaska Division of Forestry requires permits for 2017 beginning April 1. Residents must get their new permit, read it and sign it before they are able to burn anything this year, according to a news release from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.

Fire Prevention Officer Dan Govoni with the division’s Kenai-Kodiak Area office in Soldotna said there have been no changes to the burn permits since last year. They will be available at several locations across the peninsula, he said, as well as online. Once residents have their new permit, there’s one more step before they can actually burn anything. Residents are required to call the phone number on the permit prior to any burn they are planning.

“It’s important to call each day so that you know what the burning conditions are,” Govoni said.

Govoni said it’s important that permit holders not be lulled into a false sense of security by this winter’s traditional pattern of plentiful snow and cold temperatures.

“We have a lot of snow this season, and it’s probably not going to be going away too soon,” he said.

Snow or no snow, Govoni said the permits are required by state law and those who plan to burn this spring still need to follow the rules. Kenai Fire Marshal Tommy Carver said the city’s fire department relies on people calling in before they burn to keep track of active permits and potential planned burns.

“When you live inside the city, if people see smoke coming from a yard they automatically call 911, which is a great thing,” he said.

Carver explained that the Kenai Fire Department will get several calls about what turns out to often be a private, planned burn. When those people who plan to burn call in ahead of time, the department is able to account for those burns and has a better idea of which are intentional.

Burn permits are required year-round within city limits, with new permits for the year coming out in January. Carver said people planning to burn can go to the Kenai Fire Department at any point in the year to get an up-to-date permit.

One change to Kenai’s burn permits this year is the inclusion of burn barrels.

“We’ve never allowed burn barrels in the past,” Carver said.

Kenai residents will still not be able to burn household trash, he said, and should go to the Division of Forestry website for detailed instructions and rules when it comes to burn barrels. New permits that include the barrels should be out in a few weeks, Carver said.

Reach Megan Pacer at megan.pacer@peninsulaclarion.com.

More in News

People carrying flags and signs line the Sterling Highway for a “No Kings” protest in Soldotna, Alaska, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna ‘No Kings’ protest draws hundreds

The nationwide protest came the same day as a military parade organized at the behest of the Trump administration.

Council member Jordan Chilson speaks during a Soldotna City Council work session in Soldotna, Alaska, on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna council mulls change to meeting time

Meetings would be moved from 6 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. under a resolution set to be considered on June 25.

Mountain View Elementary School is photographed on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022 in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Mountain View vandalized by children, police say

Staff who arrived at the school on Monday found significant damage, according to police.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy compares Alaska to Mississippi data on poverty, per-pupil education spending, and the 2024 National Assessment of Education Progress 4th grade reading scores during a press conference on Jan. 31, 2025. Alaska is highlighted in yellow, while Mississippi is in red. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Dunleavy vetoes education funding to $500 BSA increase

Per-student funding was increased by $700 in an education bill passed by the Alaska Legislature in May.

The entrance to the Kenai Peninsula Job Center is seen here in Kenai, Alaska on April 15, 2020. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion file)
Minimum wage increases to $13 per hour on July 1

Since 2014, Alaska’s minimum wage has increased from $7.75 to $11.91 through the Alaska Wage and Hour Act.

Leads for the Sterling Safety Corridor Improvements Project field questions and showcase their “preferred design” during an open house meeting at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Preferred design alternative for Sterling Highway safety corridor introduced at town hall

The project is intended to redesign and construct improvements to the highway to reduce the number of fatal and serious collisions.

Alaska State Troopers badge. File photo
Recovered remains confirmed to be missing Texas boaters; fourth set of remains found

Remains were recovered from the vessel sank that in Kachemak Bay last August.

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Superintendent Clayton Holland speaks during a meeting of the KPBSD Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
KPBSD issues notice of non-retention to pool managers, theater techs and library aides

Those notices were issued due to the ongoing uncertainty in state education funding.

National Guard members put on hazmat suits before entering the simulation area on Monday, June 9, 2025. (Natalie Buttner / Juneau Empire)
National Guard begins exercise in Juneau simulating foreign terrorist attacks

Operation ORCA brings 100 personnel to Juneau, disrupts traffic around Capitol.

Most Read