​

Duxbury Fire Department would like to remind Duxbury residents that open burning season begins January 15th and runs through May 1st. A permit is required to open burn in compliance with Massachusetts law. 

 

Permits:

​​​

• Sign up and purchased your burn permits on the Duxbury City Hall website.

• The cost of the permit is $12.50, and can be paid online.

​

If conditions are unsafe for burning, such as high winds or drought, a notification will be posted on the social media.

​

Individuals who don’t have access to a computer or social media should call the Duxbury Fire Department at (781) 934-5693 and select option 3 to see if open burning is allowed on a given day. This information is updated by 9am each day. Residents no longer need to leave a message to activate their burning permit.

 

Violations of the permit requirements, open burning law and/or open burning regulations will be grounds for permit revocation. According to Massachusetts law, anyone found burning without a permit may be subject to criminal charges, the punishment for which is a fine of up to $500, plus the cost of suppression, or both.

 

Open Burning: 

​

Burning must be done: 

• Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., from Jan. 15 to May 1

• At least 75 feet from all buildings

• As close as possible to the source of the material being burned

​

Residents are allowed to burn:

• Brush, cane, driftwood, and forestry debris (but not from commercial or industrial land clearing)

• Agricultural materials including fruit tree and bush pruning, raspberry stalks, and infected bee hives for disease control

• Trees and brush from agricultural land clearing

• Fungus-infected elm wood, if no other acceptable means of disposal is available

​

Residents may not burn:

• Leaves

• Brush, trees, cane, or driftwood from commercial or industrial land clearing

• Grass, hay, leaves, stumps or tires

• Construction materials or demolition debris

• Household trash

​

What times are best for open burning?

• You can help prevent wildland fires by burning early in the season. Wet and snowy winter conditions help hinder the rapid spread of fire on or under the ground.

• Changing weather conditions and increased fire danger in spring can lead to many days when open burning is not allowed.

• April is usually the worst month for brush fires. When the snow recedes, but before new growth emerges, last year’s dead grass, leaves, and wood are dangerous tinder. Winds also tend to be strong and unpredictable in April.