You must have an open burning permit to burn in Maynard. Open burning must be done:
- Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. from January 15 to May 1
- At least 75 feet from all buildings
- As close as possible to the source of material being burned
- When air quality is acceptable for burning. You can go to Fire District 14 to see if burning is allowed on any given day. Further information is available by calling the MassDEP Air Quality Hotline at 800-882-0497 or visit MassAir Online to find out if it is.
To obtain and use a burn permit in Maynard, follow these easy steps!
- Step 1 Apply for Your Permit: Create an account at maynard.firepermits.com and apply for a burn permit
- Step 2 Daily Activation – on any day you plan to burn you will need to log into your account at maynard.firepermits.com and activate your permit
If you obtained your burn permit online, you DO NOT need to call the fire department to activate your permit, please do so online at maynard.firepermits.com
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I obtain an open burning permit?
An open burning permit may be obtained beginning January 15. The last day to obtain an open burning permit is May 1. The open burning season runs annually from January 15 until May 1.
How long is the open burning permit good for?
A permit is given for the season. Each day a homeowner wishes to conduct open burning, you must log into your maynard.firepermits.com account and activate your burn to see if activation of the permit will be granted due to atmospheric and fire safety conditions on that particular day. If that is the case, permit will then be activated.
Where may I obtain an open burning permit?
Open burning registrations may be obtained on line at maynard.firepermits.com
I don’t have access to a computer or e-mail, where can I apply?
You may obtain an open burning permit at the Fire Department during normal business hours.
What is the cost of the permit?
There is no fee for the permit.
I obtained an open burning permit how do I activate it?
An open burning permit must be activated daily. The permit will deactivate at the end of the day, until you wish to activate the permit again another day.
Permits must be activated on line via maynard.firepermits.com
Is Burning Allowed today?
Visit Fire District 14 to see if burning is permissible. The maynard.firepermits.com site will also prevent permit activation on days that it is not safe to burn.
Additional Resources
What can I burn?
You 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 prunings, 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
You 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
How do I safely start & tend a fire?
- An adult should always be present and attend the fire until it is completely extinguished.
- Keep children and pets a safe distance away.
- Burn away from any utility lines.
- Use paper and kindling to start the fire and add progressively larger pieces of wood. Pieces of a discarded Christmas tree make good kindling. To avoid the risk of personal injury, 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. This helps keep the fire from getting out of control.
- Keep fire extinguishing materials handy. These should include a water supply, shovels and rakes. The water supply can be a pressurized water fire extinguisher, pump can, or garden hose. Test the water source before lighting the fire.
- Put the fire out if winds pick up or the weather changes. Use common sense. Don’t wait for the fire department to tell you that it has become unsafe to burn. Most fires get out of control during sudden wind changes.
- If the fire gets out of control, call the fire local department right away to prevent personal injury and property damage.
- You could be held liable for firefighting costs, as well as face fines or jail time, if you burn illegally or allow a fire to get out of control (see M.G.L. c.48, s.13).
What times are best for open burning?
You can help prevent wild land 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.
What are the alternatives to open burning?
While still allowed in most Massachusetts towns and cities, open burning has disadvantages.
The combustion process releases carbon dioxide, other gases, and solid substances directly into the air. This can make it difficult for people with respiratory problems to breathe. It can also cause smoke and odor nuisance conditions for neighbors.
Disposing of natural materials is never as good for the environment as recycling them. Ask your public works or solid waste department if your community chips or composts natural debris into landscaping material.