Open Air Burning - $10.00 Fee

Open air burning will start January 15th. In order to burn, residents need to obtain an "open air  burning permit".  Permits can be obtained at the Center Fire Station located at 7 North Road, on a daily basis and between the hours of  8 a.m. and 6 p.m.  There is a $10.00 fee (payable by check only) for this permit and it is valid through the entire burning season - January 15th through April 30.  Permits can only be obtained on or after January 15th.

Burning permits are issued to burn brush only. The burning of leaves is not allowed and is punishable by a fine. All rules specified on the permit must be followed or the permit will be revoked.

After a permit is obtained, permission to burn is granted on a daily basis.  This can be done by contacting the telephone number listed on the permit or by driving to any of the five (5) fire stations and looking for the "okay to burn" sign in the front window. Permission to burn will only be given at or after the 10 a.m. start time. Rules for open burning are regulated by the State of  Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and are as follows:

1.  Burning may only be conducted from 1/15 to 4/30.
2.  No burning on Sundays.
3.  Burning may not start before 10:00 a.m. or after 2:00 p.m.
4.  Fires must be extinguished by 4:00 p.m.
5.  All burning must be at least 75 feet from any building.
6.  You may burn brush, cane, branches and forestry debris in a small pile.
7. You may not burn leaves, grass, hay, stumps, building debris, rubbish, or  
         materials from commercial or industrial land clearing operations.
8. You must have a garden hose line that reaches the area where you are burning.
9. The permit holder must be in attendance of the fire while it is burning.

This procedure accomplishes two objectives.  First, it gets a copy of the burning rules and regulations into the hands of the person conducting the burning.  Second, it eases the difficulty of trying to telephone in for permission to burn by opening up the option of driving to the nearest fire station and obtaining this information. It is highly recommended that all the rules are followed and that you keep your fire small so that it is easily controlled.  All residents must remember that they are responsible for any damage their fire may cause. 
  If you have any questions about this process or open burning in general, call
 the fire department's business line at (978) 250-5265.