Burn permits are now required during

Closed Fire Season

from May 10 through Oct 20

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Permits are available through the Idaho Dept. of Lands at their website www.burnpermits.idaho.gov 

Permits are free and good for 10 days. A permit can be renewed as long as there is no burn ban.

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Permits are being issued only for burn barrels

as of July 29, 2022 

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Permits are not required for small cooking or warming fires or recreational fires. Bonfires require written permission from the District.

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All other burning is now CLOSED including yad debris, all slash piles, weed control, rangeland, prescribed burning, and crop residue/pastureland.

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You must call the Air Quality Hotline at 

800-633-6247 (select Option #3 for

Kootenai County) or visit

www.deq.idaho.gov/air-quality

for conditions prior to burning.

If air quality is Green, burning is allowed.

If air quality is Yellow, a voluntary burn ban is in effect. If air quality is Red, burning is

not allowed in the District

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A copy of the District's burning rules

 must be on hand while burning

The Northern Lakes Fire District was established with the consolidation of two neighboring fire districts in 2000. We are not a department of any city or county government and are governed by a five-member Board of Fire Commissioners elected by the public to four-year terms.

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Today, the District serves five communities with more than 60,000 residents. We  are an all-hazards organization that provides structural and wildland fire protection, advanced life support emergency medical services, fire prevention, and public education services, to those we serve.

In 2021, District crews responded to almost 6,400 emergency calls; more than a 17% increase from 2020. While we continue to seek resourceful and innovative means to provide the best level of service to our citizens and guests, additional staffing remains a crucial need. Please rest assured that our administration will continue working hard to identify options for funding the much needed additional firefighters.

In the meantime, our dedicated firefighters will respond to emergencies in their highly proficient and professional manner, as always.

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Thank you to all the citizens for their continued support as we again move forward in our crucial mission to increase staffing for emergency response. I encourage anyone with questions, comments, or concerns to please contact me.

I just ask that when you see your fire crews out in the community, please take a moment to thank them and let them know they are appreciated and valued. 

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Provides an all-hazards response and community risk reduction to the greater Hayden, Rathdrum, and Twin Lakes areas in Kootenai County. Northern Lakes Fire staffs two fire engines and two advanced life support (ALS) ambulances with career staff that respond to more than 6,300 emergency calls annually from two staffed stations located in the cities of Hayden and Rathdrum. These stations are staffed 24/7/365 with twelve Firefighter/EMTs. We are a career department, comprised of thirty-nine firefighters, three Chief Officers, a Fire Marshal and Deputy Fire Marshal, a Fleet Mechanic, and three administrative support staff. In addition, all of our firefighters are certified EMTs, including eighteen paramedics.

Our staff respond to structure and wildland fires, emergency medical calls with paramedic staffed ambulances, motor vehicle crashes with heavy extrication capabilities, hazardous material response, technical rescue, weather events, ice rescues, and operate two fire & rescue boats.

Our District is comprised of approximately 108 square miles of lakes, mountains, prairies and growing cities with a population of more than 60,000 residents living in a Wildland Urban Interface identified by the Federal Registry as high risk for wildfire.

Please enjoy our website for your informational needs!

2022 Board of Fire Commissioner Meetings Schedule