EAST BRIDGEWATER – Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director Timothy Harhen would like to remind residents that open burning season begins Jan. 15 and runs through May 1. A permit is required to open burn in compliance with Massachusetts law.
Permits:
Residents can begin applying for a burn permit today by creating an account via the department’s burn permit portal: eastbridgewater.firepermits.com. There is no cost for a burn permit.
Residents will receive an email notifying them when the permit is approved, following receipt of payment. On any day that a resident plans to burn the permit must be activated by visiting their eastbridgewater.firepermits.com account. When a burn is activated the department’s dispatch is able to quickly view any open burning location on a map, assisting in public safety and emergency management.
If conditions are unsafe for burning, such as high winds or drought, a notification will be posted on the homepage and the system will prevent an individual from activating a burn permit.
Individuals who don’t have access to a computer should call the East Bridgewater Fire Department at 508-378-2071 for assistance with their burn permit application.
Violations of the permit requirements, open burning law and/or open burning regulations will be grounds for permit revocation. According to Massachusetts law, anyone found burning without a permit may be subject to criminal charges, the punishment for which is a fine of up to $500, plus the cost of suppression or by imprisonment for up to one month, or both.
Open Burning Guidelines:
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)
- 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
- Agricultural materials — in East Bridgewater, agricultural land clearing requires a special permit from the fire department.
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.
For more information on open burning in Massachusetts, visit Mass.gov.
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