Open Burning Season Begins This Week

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

Burning permits are $15 and are valid for two days only. You can purchase one at the Reading Fire Department (757 Main Street Reading).

Permit holders must call (781) 944-3132 after 9 a.m. each day for permission to burn, and burning is allowed between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. only. More info about burning in Reading is available online.

“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 “If winds kick up or other atmospheric conditions change suddenly, making it unsafe to burn, permits can be rescinded (cancelled).”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.