Burning Trash in Montana? You Might Want To Be Careful

Sometimes it's the easiest way to get rid of things, but you must be careful about what you put on your burn pile.

When people want to get rid of garbage, most folks will toss it in the trash or find a dumpster. Another angle is taking things to the dump for proper disposing. The only problem is folks living in rural areas might not have access to places to dispose of trash.

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So what do they do? Well, they end up burning the trash. Here's the problem, Montana has rules on burning trash, and here's what to know.

Montana's Division of Fire Management states that burning debris is ok, but you should know the rules and guidelines before you start. According to Montana, the type of debris allowed to be burned on your premises are agriculture and wildlife. This debris comes from ranching, farming, or gardening.

This rule means you can't burn materials like tires, hazardous waster, food waste, or plastics. Burning off these types of garbage can be toxic and harmful to animals and people in your area.

The Division of Fire Management also states you are only allowed to burn these piles of trash between May 1st through September 30th. Please remember, during fire season, you might want to take extra precautions when burning your trash pile. Keep your eyes on wind conditions and maintain the burn pile away from bodies of water and structures.

If you are new to Montana and don't understand why these rules are in place, you must have never lived in rural Montana or worked on a ranch. Burning trash can be an easy and efficient way to eliminate waste quickly.

While driving through Montana this summer, if you see something burning out in a field this summer, hopefully, it's a burn pile and not a wildfire.

For more details, check out Montana's Division of Fire Management.