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Revere, MA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Outdoor burning rules in Revere, MA, also called the burn ban, open burning, or fire restriction ordinance, set when you can burn yard waste, debris, or run a recreational fire.

Key Facts

Permit authority
Chief of the Fire Department
Banned materials
Wood, lumber, paper, debris, branches, grass
Cure period
72 hours written notice before action
Exception
Approved charcoal/briquette cookout fires
Excluded from cure period
Hydrant clearance and fireworks violations

Summary

Revere bans any outdoor fire, from a barrel to an outdoor fireplace, without a written permit from the fire chief, and forbids burning wood, debris, branches or grass outright.

A. No person shall set, maintain or increase, or allow property owned or under his control to be used to set, maintain or increase, a fire in the open air, or in a barrel, container, on the ground, in an outdoor fireplace, in so-called incinerators, or in any other outdoor receptacle or place without first receiving a written permit to do so to be granted by the chief of the fire department. ... ... C. The open burning of wood, lumber, paper, debris, branches, trees, grass or any like substance is expressly forbidden. ... No action shall be taken against any person until such person has been first notified, in writing, of violation and has been allowed at least seventy-two hours after receipt of order to procure the necessary permit or remove the condition that may be in violation of this chapter and Chapters 2.51, 2.54 and 8.20 through 8.32 of this revision; provided, that the provisions of this section shall not apply to Section 8.16.080 and Section 8.16.200.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4804778; v14 updated 2026-05-04).

Full Breakdown

190 of the Revere Municipal Code, carried over from the city's prior fire prevention code (former § 7-40), requires a written permit from the chief of the fire department before anyone sets, maintains or increases a fire in the open air, in a barrel, container, on the ground, in an outdoor fireplace, in an incinerator, or in any other outdoor receptacle. Subsection (C) goes further and bans a category of burning outright: the open burning of wood, lumber, paper, debris, branches, trees, grass or any like substance is expressly forbidden, and no permit can cure that ban.

The one carved-out exception, at subsection (B), covers a reasonable charcoal or briquette cookout fire in an approved receptacle, addressed separately under Revere's outdoor cooking rules. 200 (fireworks), where the city can act immediately. 060 may also set the duration of any permit issued and suspend or revoke it.

Violations & Fines

Setting an unpermitted outdoor fire, or burning wood, debris, branches or grass in violation of § 8.16.190(C), is enforced by the Revere Fire Department. Before the city takes action, § 8.16.210 requires written notice and a 72-hour cure period to obtain the permit or remove the violating condition, except for hydrant-clearance and fireworks violations, which carry no cure period. Chapter 8.16 prints no flat civil fine for a Section 8.16.190 violation; enforcement runs through this notice-and-order process itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have a bonfire in my Revere backyard?
Not without a written permit. Section 8.16.190(A) requires a written permit from the chief of the fire department before anyone sets a fire in the open air, in a barrel, on the ground or in an outdoor fireplace, and subsection (C) forbids burning wood, lumber, debris, branches, trees or grass outright, permit or not.
What happens before Revere fines someone for illegal outdoor burning?
Section 8.16.210 requires the city to give written notice of the violation and at least 72 hours to obtain the necessary permit or remove the condition before taking any action, except for fire hydrant clearance and fireworks violations, which are excluded from that cure period.
Is burning yard debris like branches and grass ever allowed in Revere?
No. Section 8.16.190(C) states that the open burning of wood, lumber, paper, debris, branches, trees, grass or any like substance is expressly forbidden, a flat ban that a fire department permit cannot override; only an approved charcoal or briquette cookout fire is carved out separately.

Sources & Official References

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