MAYNARD — Chief Angela Lawless and the Maynard Fire Department would like to share the following open burning tips with residents ahead of burning season.
Open burning season begins January 15 and residents are required to obtain a burning permit.
Permits
- Residents can obtain a burn permit at maynard.firepermits.com. Residents will receive an e-mail notifying them when the permit is approved.
- On any day that a resident plans to burn, the permit must be activated by visiting their maynard.firepermits.com account.
- Permits are issued to the owner of the property, if you are a renter, the responsibility is of the property owner to obtain and activate the permit.
- Residents must activate their burn permit on days they wish to burn.
- Burn permits can only be activated the day of burning between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The website will not allow permits to be activated outside of those hours.
Open Burning Guidelines
Maynard Fire would like to share the following open burning guidelines with residents:
Burning must be done:
- Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., from Jan. 15 to May 1
- At least 75 feet from all dwellings
- As close as possible to the source of material being burned
Residents are allowed to burn:
- Brush, cane, driftwood, and forestry debris (but not from commercial or industrial land clearing).
- Agricultural materials including fruit tree and bush pruning’s, raspberry stalks, and infected bee hives for disease control.
- Trees and brush from agricultural land clearing.
- Fungus-infected elm wood if no other acceptable means of disposal is available.
Residents may not burn:
- Leaves
- Brush, trees, cane, or driftwood from commercial or industrial land clearing
- Grass, hay, leaves, stumps, or tires
- Construction materials or demolition debris
- Household trash
What times are best for open burning?
- You can help prevent wildland fires by burning early in the season. Wet and snowy winter conditions help hinder the rapid spread of fire on or under the ground.
- Changing weather conditions and increased fire danger in spring can lead to many days when open burning is not allowed.
- April is usually the worst month for brush fires. When snow recedes, but before new growth emerges, last year’s dead grass, leaves and wood are dangerous tinder. Winds also tend to be strong and unpredictable in April.
Burning Safety
Maynard Fire would like to share the following safety tips from Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP):
- Keep children and pets a safe distance away from the fire.
- An adult should be present and actively tending to the fire until it is completely extinguished.
- Ensure the flames are completely out before leaving the fire unattended or returning to your home.
- Never use gasoline, kerosene or other flammable liquid as a fire starter.
- Burn one small pile of material at a time and slowly add to it to ensure the fire does not get out of control.
- Keep fire extinguishing materials handy. Materials should include a water supply, shovels and rakes.
- If the fire gets out of control, call 911.
For more information about open burning in Massachusetts click here.
For more information about obtaining a burn permit in Maynard click here or call 978-897-1014.
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