Open Burning Season Begins This Week

Open burning season starts on Jan. 15 and ends on May 1 in Massachusetts. Chelmsford residents can obtain permits -- a must -- through their local fire department.

You must obtain a permit from the Chelmsford Fire Department prior to burning.

Then, permit holders must call 978-256-2542 or drive by any of the town’s fire stations and look for the “OK to burn” sign each day for permission to burn. Burning is allowed between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. only.

“Weather conditions can change rapidly, especially in the spring, and fire wardens will determine on a daily basis when it is safe to conduct open burning,” it says on the DEP website. “If winds kick up or other atmospheric conditions change suddenly, making it unsafe to burn, permits can be rescinded (cancelled).”

Find out more provisions and laws surrounding open burning, including materials that can (or cannot) be burned. For instance, did you know raspberry stalks and infected beehives can be burned, but grass, hay and leaves are strictly prohibited. And as if we had to tell you, you can’t burn a tire, either.

Learn lots more on safety, as well as burning alternatives, on the DEP website.

Charlene Arsenault contributed to this article.