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Town of Amherst, MA - Home Page
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Burning Permits - Open Air Burning

BURNING PERMITS!

BURNING PERMITS can only be issued between January 15th and May 1st by state regulations.  The requirements for obtaining a burning permit are listed below.  Please call our business office after January 15th 2011 to obtain your 2011 burning permit.

Open Air Burning

  • The Commonwealth of Massachusetts allows open air burning from January 15 - May 1 of each year.
  • Only garden preparation and tree trimming material may be burned (no leaves or stumps).
  • Burning sites need to be inspected by the Fire Department prior to use.
  • Burning is allowed from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, at which time all burning must be concluded.
  • Burning must be constantly attended and a garden hose or water source must be readily available.
  • Burning sites must be located at least 75' from structures and materials cannot be piled higher than 3', longer than 25', or wider than 10'.
  • Once a permit is obtained from the Fire Department, it is good for the remainder of the burning season, and no further inspections will be made.
    • A telephone call to the Department must be made prior to burning in order to activate the permit and ensure that burning is allowed on any particular day (high winds or dry conditions will negate open burning).

Additional Information
For more information and the text of Massachusetts Regulation 310 CMR 7.07, "Open Burning," see the Open Burning Regulations (external link) of the Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control, or contact the Fire Department at 413-259-3082 for more information.

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TOWN HALL | 4 Boltwood Avenue | Amherst, MA 01002 | Ph: 413-259-3333 | Email: info@amherstma.gov | Hours | Directions