Category: General

Burning in Hauser Lake

Questions and answers about fires and burning in Hauser Lake.

This page is up during Closed Burning Season (which is usually May 10 through October 20).

Currently in Hauser, cooking and warming fires are allowed without a permit and must be under three feet in diameter and less than two feet high.

Burning of yard waste, brush piles, burn barrels and some other material may be allowed with a permit. Please complete the online permit at burnpermits.idaho.gov. Paper permits are available at the fire station; please write legibly as we must read and enter them into the online system.

Please keep fires small and avoid wet, smoky fuel.

Questions regarding permits should be directed to Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) at 208-769-1577.

When do I need a burning permit?

Permits for burning are required during the Idaho Closed Burning Season which is usually from May 10 through October 20 of each year. Recreational fires do not require a permit but can be no larger than 3 feet in diameter and no more than 2 foot high in fuel. Outside of that time frame, from October 21 to May 9 of the following year, as long as there is not a Burn Ban in effect, no permit is needed. Please note that the State of Idaho sometimes does extend the permit season beyond those dates, so this can change from time to time.

Where can I get a permit?

Permits, when required, for hand stacked yard waste may be obtained online or at the fire station.

This the ‘self service’ online burn permit (and renewal) available as long as burning is allowed, for free, through the IDOL: burnpermits.idaho.gov

It is important that the permit holder has a permit in possession when they are burning. If you have trouble with the link, you can also still fill out a paper form, found in the white cabinet in the front of the Hauser Lake Fire Station.

All other types of permits (slash, machine stacked slash, etc.) need to be obtained from the Idaho Department of Lands, 3258 West Industrial Loop, Coeur d’Alene.

What if no one is at the fire station to issue a permit?

Please fill out the form in the white box/cabinet at the front of the fire station. Fill out two copies, one to take with you and one to leave in the box. You can also use the online link shown above to obtain a permit.

What does a permit cost?

Permits in the Hauser Lake Fire District are issued at no cost.

Will the fire department still come out if I am burning with a permit?

Even if you have a permit the fire department may still respond if called. If there is a complaint due to smoke from your fire we may have to extinguish the fire even if you have a permit.

When is burning banned?

When weather conditions dictate burning may be banned, which means no open flames of any kind. Watch for Burn Ban signs as you drive into the area for a ban notice.

Are there any other restrictions?

Yes!

  • The only items you can ever burn are wood and paper products;
  • you must call the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality at 800-633-6247 or visit their website;
  • you must have shovel and water on hand;
  • and you must be the property owner.

Page last updated May 24, 2023.

Chief Larry Simms’ Retirement Ceremony

On September 20, 2020, we celebrated the career of Larry Simms. He retired after 34 years of service to the Hauser Lake community and surrounding area.

A video of the ceremony, taken by Joan Rodman, has been posted on the District’s public Facebook page here (a new window should open). The video includes several very moving moments, including Chief Simms thanking his wife Elaine (also a 30+-year volunteer), shaking hands with the fire fighters, and listening to the final sign off from Captain Mobbs which was broadcast over the Kootenai County emergency dispatch system.

A few photos of the event are below. For more, please see our public Facebook page (@HauserLakeFire). You can also try this link: https://www.facebook.com/HauserLakeFire/photos/pcb.3523762351002251/3523761441002342/?type=3&theater

Posted September 20, 2020

Hauser Lake Fire Chief Transition in the News

The following article appeared in the Coeur d’Alene Press on Friday, August 14, 2020. We are grateful to reporter Madison Hardy for attending our ceremony and covering this noteworthy event in Hauser Lake history.

Coeur d'Alene Press logo

Coeur d’Alene Press

By Madison Hardy, Staff Writer

Click here to open the PDF file of page 1 and here for page 2.

Published September 21, 2020

Volunteer Opportunities

If you live in the Hauser Lake area, we encourage you to volunteer!

Hauser Lake Fire District map
Boundaries of the Hauser Lake Fire Protection District.

If you live in the Hauser Lake area, we encourage you to volunteer! Volunteers can help in whatever capacity they are comfortable. If you are in good physical condition, can dedicate the time, and like to work with cool tools, you can volunteer as a firefighter and/or EMT.

If you don’t feel comfortable with that, have a bit less time, or are not physically able to be a full firefighter, we can still use your help and support. We have an Auxiliary that supports members during incidents and trainings and takes on various projects. We can also utilize someone who may have a particular expertise or would simply want to help out with maintenance, administrative, fire prevention or other functions.

If you’re not interested in being a firefighter or EMT, the Hauser Lake Fire Auxiliary might be a great way for you to still help out and support the fire department. The Fire Auxiliary hosts our open house, helps with various projects around the station, and supports the firefighters during a fire by providing food and drinks to the firefighters.

If any of these avenues sound like something you would like to do, please contact us at the fire station for more information or just stop by for a chat with the Chief who is at the station most weekdays from 7 am to 4 pm.

Emergency? Be Notified!

Sign up to get emergency notifications

AlertKootenaiButton
First, visit the Kootenai County Emergency Notification System for Citizens page. This is a free citizen voice and text alert notification service used to contact you during urgent or emergency situations with useful information and updates by sending voice, text or email messages to you. This is for local emergency notifications like an evacuation, school lock down, public health event, etc.

Second, visit the Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security website to sign up for emergency notifications to cell phones from the state on things having to do with weather, firest, etc.

House Number Signs

House number signs may be purchased for only $15 through the HLFD.

Will the fire department, ambulance or sheriff be able to find your house when you need them? Precious time is often lost trying to find the right address. The numbers are small or they might be large enough but, because of color or placement, are hard to see—especially if it is dark, foggy or bad weather.

Address sign available through the HLFD
Identify your home with an address sign.

So that we can find you in an emergency, your address needs to be visible from the street (where your driveway meets the street, if not on the house itself) and if there is more than one home on the driveway, all should be clearly marked. It is wise to have a friend drive by your home at normal speed on a dark night when visibility is bad and tell you what your address is. This exercise can reveal if you need to change something.

To make it easy for homeowners, the Hauser Lake Volunteer Fire Department offers blue address signs, visible throughout the community, at cost—only $15.00 each. The signs are two-sided with 4-inch reflective numbers on a blue reflective background. Call the fire station at 773-1174 to order.

(An added bonus of having a well marked address is that UPS and FedEx can find you to deliver packages too!)

Hydrants and Smoke Detectors Reminder

Help us find the hydrant!

Keeping weeds cut during the spring and summer and shoveling the snow around hydrants during the winter season helps us find and use the fire hydrants when they are needed.

Remember to keep chimneys clean and your smoke detectors working. In the event of a power outage do not run open flame or catalytic heaters without making sure that there is plenty of ventilation. Electric heaters are a safer alternative indoors. If you need assistance changing smoke detector batteries, we will be more than happy to help out.

Remember that smoke detectors should be completely replaced after ten years.

Resource Links

Local Emergency Resources:

Community:

Kids:

Education:

County Offices:

  • CountyOffice.org – database of county government offices in the United States. Locate your county assessor, board of elections, chamber of commerce, child support offices, colleges, coroner, courts, and more. (This site was recommended by a member of the public as a one-stop location to find government entities.)

Page last updated February 28, 2022

A Tradition of Community Service

This beautiful cast bronze bell serves as an ongoing symbol of the District’s commitment to voluntary community service.

This beautiful cast bronze bell serves as an ongoing symbol of the District’s commitment to voluntary community service.
The bell reads, “Hauser Lake Volunteer Fire Dept, Est 1952”

The HLVFD now proudly displays the beautiful cast bronze bell which serves as an ongoing symbol of the District’s commitment to voluntary community service. It is rung to mark the beginning and end of ceremonies, meetings and other events.

Credits: The bell was purchased with funds from the HLFPD and HLFD Auxiliary. The District is grateful to retired Engineer Ken Birge for the idea and preliminary research. He and retired Captain Scott Weston built the hickory frame housing the bell. The pull is knotted and tied by Chief Larry Simms. The cloth cover (not shown) was made by Auxiliary member Rita Birge.

The District thanks Chips and Sparks Creations of Harpster, Idaho for the engraving.