Open burning season opened on Jan. 15. Those wanting to open burn must be registered with their local fire department.
Photo credit: Massachusetts Department of Fire Services
For those in the area who take advantage of the state’s open burning season from Jan. 15 to May 1, each local fire department has its own policies to ensure the public’s safety.
Westfield Deputy Fire Chief and Fire Prevention Officer Christopher King offered what could be the most important advice for those burning.
“It’s important to make sure the fire is always attended. Don’t start it and walk away,” King said.
And there should always be a water hose or water source nearby, he said.
Being a good neighbor is also important.
“You should remember your neighbors to make sure smoke doesn’t create an issue,” he said, adding that most burning complaints are from neighbors.
And burn barrels are not allowed, according to the state’s Department of Environmental Protection.
The Westfield Fire Department uses a web-based system that maintains a real-time map of every burn within town and city limits.
Westfield residents who wish to burn outdoors must take several steps to pull a permit, and it starts online at cityofwestfield.org/371/Burning-Permits. That page links to a separate website, westfield.firepermits.com, where people can review the rules, apply for and purchase a permit, then activate it on the day they are actually burning, King said
Each permit requires a one-time $25 fee, according to King.
Seasonal burning permit
He explained that when paying for the permit, there will be a link that will take residents to a third-party vendor that processes the payment. Residents do not need to register with the vendor to pay. They can simply pay as a guest.
“Always use the guest option,” King said.
After paying and receiving a permit, when residents are ready to burn, they must return to westfield.firepermits.com on the day of the burn and click on the “Activate Burn” button.
This has created some confusion for residents in the past. When activating their burn, residents will be asked to enter the address where the fire will take place.
What the department found since the new system was implemented was that residents were only putting in their house or residence number and street, and not including the correct city, “Westfield, Mass.”
Because the system uses a Google-based map, when residents began typing in their address, the mapping system would show a drop-down listing of all the addresses that match the street number and street name throughout the country. Some residents click on the first address that appears, but that address may have been in another city and state.
It is recommended that residents also put a “comma” after their address; it should be typed in like this, King said: “123 Broad St., Westfield, MA.”
There were a few burns in the city last year that mapped to locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio and Illinois, Kane said.
Another issue that has popped up was residents trying to activate a burn before 9 a.m.
“The system is only open from 9 a.m. to noon,” King said.
Another issue is residents calling 911 when trying to learn if the weather conditions allow for a burn that day.
“Don’t call 911 unless you have an emergency. If you have questions about burning, call the department directly,” at 413-562-2329, King said.
In Southwick, residents who want to take advantage of open burn season have a new step they must take before lighting up: a site inspection.
“We just want to make sure that who would like to burn qualifies,” said Fire Chief Richard Stefanowicz, who added that permits are still free.
He suggested contacting the department as soon as possible to schedule a site inspection.
Several residents, he said, have already had their burn pits inspected.
Southwick residents seeking a burning permit should visit southwickfire.org and click on the “Open Burning Registration” page. That will take residents to a form that must be filled out.
Within a few days of filling out the form, applicants will receive an email detailing the permit number and a copy of the rules and regulations, according to the department’s website.
Once a permit, which is free, is secured, residents must call the department at 413-569-6363 on the day they wish to burn to learn if the conditions will allow it.
Residents don’t have to register online. They can visit the department to fill out the application form.
Granville Fire Department Chief Matt Ripley, like King, also said residents who pull burning permits need to follow the rules.
“It’s important to do everything correctly and not burn things you shouldn’t, like brush or leaves,” Ripley said.
Granville uses a similar system to Westfield’s, he said.
“Using the system, we can see all the people burning during any day,” Ripley said.
Granville residents can apply for a burning permit online, which is free, by visiting gfd.burnpermits.com, the department’s permit portal, or pick up a paper application at the department.
“If you need help, please don’t hesitate to call us at 413-357-8572,” Ripley said.
Once Granville residents secure a permit, they must still call 855-793-1007 to alert the department to burning and to learn if the conditions allow it.
In Russell, residents must stop by Town Hall and fill out the application form for a permit.
Once approved, residents should check out townofrussell.us/fire-department/news/daily-open-burning-restrictions. During the burning season, the site updates daily to let residents know if conditions allow outdoor fires that day.
In Montgomery, residents can call the fire department at 413-862-4505 to secure a permit at least 48 hours before burning. When calling, leave an address, contact name and phone number.
The department said the permit can be revoked at any time because of dry conditions and air quality.
- All the departments said it is important to follow the rules established by the state DEP. They are:
- Fires must be a minimum of 75 feet away from any dwelling.
- Fires may be conducted between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. from Jan. 15 to May 1.
- Fires should take place on the land closest to the source of material to be burned.
Before starting a fire, permit holders must ensure air quality conditions are acceptable for burning by calling the DEP Air Quality Hotline at 617-556-1021 or by visiting MassAir Online at eeaonline.eea.state.ma.us/dep/massair/web.
The DEP also mandates that outdoor fires are restricted to brush, cane, driftwood and forestry debris (excluding commercial or industrial land clearing operations); agricultural materials such as fruit tree and bush pruning’s, raspberry stalks and infected bee hives for disease control; trees and brush resulting from agricultural land clearing; and fungus-infected elm wood, if no other acceptable means of disposal is available.
Outdoor burns cannot include brush, trees, cane and driftwood from commercial or industrial land clearing; grass, hay, leaves and stumps; tires; or construction material and debris.
