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Land Clearing, Burning Safety & Permits

How to clear your Montura lot the right way — and burn debris without getting fined or starting a wildfire.

Clearing palmettos, pines, and brush is part of life on a Montura lot — and so is burning what you cut. Done right, it's straightforward. Done wrong, it can mean steep fines, a visit from the Sheriff, a runaway wildfire, or all three. Here's the plain-English rundown on permits, safe burning, hiring crews, and who to call before you start.

Before You Clear Anything

Walk your lot first. Flag your property corners (a surveyor is cheap insurance — clearing onto a neighbor's lot is a real problem out here). Identify wetlands, protected trees, and any drainage swales. Take photos before work starts. If you're financing, building, or insuring, your lender or insurer may want before-and-after documentation.

Hendry County Land Clearing Permits

Hendry County requires a Vegetation Removal / Land Clearing Permit for most clearing beyond a small footprint. Apply through Hendry County Planning & Zoning (640 S Main St, LaBelle — (863) 675-5240). Expect to provide a site plan showing what's being cleared, what's being kept, and where debris is going. Wetlands, protected species, or work in the county right-of-way can trigger additional state review (FDEP, SFWMD, or USACE). Pull the permit before equipment shows up — stop-work orders and fines are real.

Protected Trees & Wetlands

Hendry County protects certain native and specimen trees — you generally can't remove large oaks, cypress, or mature native hardwoods without permission. Wetlands are protected under federal and state law: clearing, filling, or ditching them without authorization can trigger fines from FDEP, the Army Corps, or the South Florida Water Management District. When in doubt, ask the county before the dozer hits the dirt.

Hiring a Landscape or Land-Clearing Crew

Montura is its own animal — sandy soil, palmettos, hard freezes some winters, and floodplains. Use crews who actually work out here. Ask for a current Florida license, liability insurance, a written estimate, references from other Montura/LaBelle/Clewiston jobs, and a clear plan for haul-off of debris. If a price seems too low, it usually means corners are being cut on insurance or disposal.

Burn Bans — Always Check First

Florida Forest Service issues county-by-county burn bans during dry conditions, and Hendry County can issue its own local ban. Burning during a ban is illegal and can mean fines plus liability for any fire that escapes. Check fdacs.gov/Florida-Forest-Service before every burn — conditions change week to week, especially in the dry season (roughly November through May).

Call Before You Light Up

Before lighting any outdoor burn, call the Hendry County Sheriff's non-emergency line at (863) 674-5600 to notify dispatch. This keeps neighbors from calling 911 on your smoke column and stops fire trucks from rolling out on a false alarm. For larger piles or any acreage burn, you may also need an authorization from Florida Forest Service — call the Caloosahatchee Forestry Center to confirm.

Safe Burning Rules

(1) Burn only natural vegetative debris from your own property — no trash, tires, treated lumber, painted wood, plastic, shingles, or construction debris. Burning those is a state violation. (2) Keep piles small and manageable — multiple small piles are safer than one giant one. (3) Maintain a cleared firebreak around each pile (bare dirt, at least 25 feet for small piles, more for big ones). (4) Have water and a shovel on site before you light. (5) Burn during daylight hours only — most authorizations require fires out by sunset or one hour before. (6) Never burn when winds are high or shifting. (7) Never leave a fire unattended, and make sure it's fully out — cold to the touch — before you leave.

If a Burn Gets Away From You

Call 911 immediately — do not wait, do not try to handle it alone. Florida wildfires move fast in palmetto and pine, especially with any wind. Under Florida law, you can be held civilly and criminally liable for the cost of suppression and any damage to neighboring property if your burn escapes. Honesty with dispatch and Forest Service helps everyone.

Debris Haul-Off vs Burning

Not everything has to be burned. Local site-work and landscape crews can haul off debris, chip it, or grind stumps. Hendry County also accepts certain yard waste at designated sites. Get a written quote that says exactly where the debris is going — you can be held responsible if your contractor dumps it illegally.

Illegal Dumping — Don't Become That Neighbor

Dumping land-clearing debris on vacant lots, roadsides, canal banks, or anyone else's property is illegal in Hendry County and gets investigated by Code Enforcement and the Sheriff's Office. That includes 'just dragging it across the street to the empty lot.' If a contractor's haul-off price seems too good to be true, ask where the debris is going — and get it in writing.