Local fire wardens halt burn permits as dry conditions persist across Vt.
August 9, 2025 | By Lisa Scagliotti Aug: 13: The Fire Danger Forecast update today dropped to “high” for the entire state of Vermont.
Note: This post was updated on Aug. 11 with the fire danger forecast map indicating much of the entire state of Vermont at a “very high” risk.
Note: This post was updated on Aug. 10 with the fire danger forecast map indicating the entire state of Vermont at a “high” risk.
Continuing dry summertime weather has much of Vermont in drought conditions, leading state and local officials to caution residents to hold off on outdoor burning until the region gets a good soaking rain.
Find the daily Vermont Fire Danger Forecast maps online from the Vt. Department of Forests, Parks an Recreation. Click to enlarge.
On Friday, local fire wardens in Waterbury and Duxbury said they are not approving any requests for burn permits until conditions improve, which could be at least a week away. The U.S. National Weather Service extended forecast through the coming week calls for sunshine, warm temperatures reaching into the 90s some days with only small chances of occasional scattered thunderstorms.
Officials with the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation on Friday issued a reminder to Vermonters to take steps to prevent human-caused fires given the dry conditions.
“Much of Vermont is experiencing abnormally dry summer conditions. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor 72% of Vermont is now in drought,” state officials said. “While certain areas have received some rain, it has been inconsistent, leading to elevated fire danger across the state.”
The Vermont Fire Danger Forecast is updated daily online with a detailed map showing the current fire risk level in every Vermont community. The entire state of Vermont on Sunday, Aug. 10, was listed at a “high” risk. On Monday, that rating for most of the state was revised to “very high” (see map).
The region encompassing most of Central Vermont, including Waterbury, Duxbury, the Mad River Valley, Barre-Montpelier and Stowe is listed as high.
On Friday, the Waterbury Fire Department shared a message on social media that Duxbury and Waterbury Fire Wardens Kyle Guyette and Charlie O’Brien respectively that “until we receive a soaking rain to improve conditions, we will not be issuing anu burn permits.”
In Vermont, a permit from the Town Forest Fire Warden is always required to burn brush or debris. The current recommendation statewide is for residents to delay all outdoor burning until after a soaking rain. In many cases, Vermonters are likely to find their local fire warden unwilling to issue a burn permit.
According to the state fire warden information, “Fire Wardens have the authority to ban open burning in their towns during times of high fire danger or hazardous local conditions.”
State officials ask Vermonters to help reduce the opportunities for human-caused wildfires to start by “limiting fires as much as possible during dry periods and being aware of nearby fuel sources when considering any outdoor burning activities, like grilling, campfires, debris burning, and smoking.”
Kathy Decker, the state’s Forest Protection Program Manager, gave several examples such as noting that campfires should be in a contained ring with a water source close by to manage escaped embers. “Be cautious with outdoor equipment that can cause sparks, like chainsaws and lawnmowers, and make sure to fully extinguish and properly extinguish all fires and carefully dispose of all smoking materials,” she said.
Several links for more information: the current wildland fire forecast, the U.S. Drought Monitor map of the northeast, and the Forests, Parks and Recreation website which has a signup to receive fire danger email warning from the state.