3) Burning Regulations & Permits

Open Burn Season is January 15th to May 1st.
Cost is $20.00 & the permit is good for the season.
You must call or activate online every day that you desire to burn.
Click the following link. Click Fire Department and choose the appropriate category. https://epay.cityhallsystems.com/?key=boxford.ma.us

Burning is allowed only on the property listed on the permit.
You can activate your permit online or via the Communication Department.
Participants are prohibited from burning before 10:00AM. All fires must be started between 10:00AM and 12:00 Noon.
Fires must be extinguished 100% by 4:00PM (remember to pull your pile apart). Burning after 4:00PM is prohibited.
Fires must be at least 75 feet from any structure including sheds.
Fires must be attended at all times by an adult.
Participants must have a water supply such as a pressurized water can, garden hose, and shovels or rakes nearby.
Participants may burn brush, cane, driftwood, and forestry debris.
At no time are you allowed to burn grass, hay, leaves, stumps, construction materials, trash or other related items.
In case of high winds or otherwise dangerous conditions, this permit is invalid as provided by law.
This permit does not release party from liability for damages.
The Fire Department reserves the right to revoke any permit for non-compliance.

Fires should be started by an adult. Remember to keep children away at a safe distance.
Remember to set up all hoses (with running water) and other tools before starting your fire.
Use paper and kindling to start the fire with common match or lighter. Pieces from an old christmas tree or fire starting logs can also be good sources to help start a fire. After the fire begins to grow, slowly add additional material.
Never use gasoline, kerosene or any other flammable liquid to start a fire.

Remember to wear appropiate clothing. You should have boots/shoes, long sleeve shirt and long pants.
Please extinguish your fire if the winds pick up or weather changes. Use common sense and don't wait for the fire department to contact you that it has become unsafe to burn. Sudden wind change is how most open burning gets out of control.
Don't delay a call for help. Call 911 immediatley if your fire spreads or you need first aid.
Anyone conducting illegal burning, or who allow the fire to get out of control may be held liable for costs of extinguishing the fire, fined or even imprisoned (MGL C48 S13 - click to review the law)

April is usually the worst month for brush fires. When the snow pack recedes, before new growth emerges, last year's dead grass, leaves and wood are dangerous tinder. Winds also tend to be stronger and more unpredictable during April. Burning earlier in the season during winter months can avoid fire spread.

Open burning releases large amounts of carbon dioxide, other gases, and solid substances directly into the air, which can contribute to respiratory problems. Disposal of natural materials is never as good for the environment as using them again in a different form. Tree limbs, brush and other forestry debris can be chipped or composted into landscaping material.

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