Outdoor burning rules in Essex County, 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.
Open burning in Essex County is permitted only from January 15 to May 1, with a permit issued each day by the local fire department under MGL c.48 §13. Burning leaves, trash, and grass is always illegal.
State law bans open burning except during the January 15 to May 1 season, and only brush, cane, driftwood, and forestry debris may be burned, never leaves, grass, stumps, trash, tires, or construction debris. You need a permit from the fire department for each day you burn, obtained by phone or online in most Essex County towns, and the fire chief can suspend permits when wind or drought raises fire danger. Fires must sit at least 75 feet from any dwelling and burn between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Burning household trash is prohibited statewide year-round under Department of Environmental Protection regulation.
Illegal open burning is punishable by a fine of up to $500 plus the cost of suppression, or imprisonment for up to one month, or both, in addition to state DEP air-quality penalties.
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