Fire Regulations in Somerville, MA (2026)
7 verified fire regulations for Somerville, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Fire Pit Rules
Recreational fires in Somerville are tightly restricted. The city is densely built, and the Fire Department discourages open flame features on residential lots due to code and proximity limits.
Somerville Fire Pit Rules
Heavy RestrictionsFireworks
All consumer fireworks are illegal in Massachusetts, including Somerville. Possession, sale, and use are criminal offenses with fines and confiscation by the Somerville Fire Department.
Somerville Fireworks Rules
Heavy RestrictionsM.G.L. c. 148, Section 39
Section 39. No person shall sell, or keep or offer for sale, or have in his possession, or under his control, or use, or explode, or cause to explode, any combustible or explosive composition or substance, or any combination of such compositions or substances, or any other article, which was prepared for the purpose of producing a visible or audible effect by combustion, explosion, deflagration...
Brush Clearance
Somerville does not have wildfire-style defensible space requirements. Property maintenance rules require keeping lots free of overgrowth, debris, and nuisance vegetation that could feed fire.
Somerville Brush Clearance
Some RestrictionsMass. Gen. Laws ch. 48, § 13 (Open Burning of Brush — Permit and Supervision Requirements) (Massachusetts General Laws; applies to all cities/towns within the county)
Section 13. No person shall set, maintain or increase a fire in the open air at any time except by permission, covering a period not exceeding two days from the date thereof, granted by the forest warden or chief of the fire department in cities and towns, or, in cities having such an official, the fire commissioner;
Outdoor Burning
Somerville is designated a no-burn community under 310 CMR 7.07. Open burning of brush, leaves, or yard waste is prohibited year round with no seasonal permit available.
Somerville Outdoor Burning
Heavy RestrictionsMass. Gen. Laws ch. 48, § 13 (Outdoor Burning Rules)
No person shall set, maintain or increase a fire in the open air at any time except by permission, covering a period not exceeding two days from the date thereof, granted by the forest warden or chief of the fire department in cities and towns, or, in cities having such an official, the fire commissioner; provided, that if such permission is not in writing, a written record of the granting ther...
Wildfire Zones
Somerville has no designated wildfire hazard zones. The city is fully urbanized with no interface with wildlands, so wildfire-specific building and clearance rules do not apply.
Somerville Wildfire Zones
Few RestrictionsSmoke Detectors
Massachusetts requires smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in every dwelling. Somerville Fire Department inspects before any sale or transfer of residential property under MGL c.148 s.26F.
Somerville Smoke Detector Rules
Heavy RestrictionsM.G.L. c. 148, Section 26F
Section 26F. All buildings or structures occupied in whole or in part for residential purposes and not regulated by sections twenty-six A, twenty-six B or twenty-six C shall, upon the sale or transfer of such building or structure, be equipped by the seller with approved smoke detectors as provided in section twenty-six E. The head of the fire department shall enforce the provisions of this sec...
Backyard Fires
Recreational cooking fires are allowed only if they meet 527 CMR 1.00 clearance rules. Open burning of yard waste is prohibited year round under state no-burn designation.
Somerville Backyard Fires
Heavy RestrictionsLooking for Middlesex County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Somerville city rules.
Fire Regulations in Middlesex County →