• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
John Guilfoil Public Relations LLC

John Guilfoil Public Relations LLC

PR for Police, Fire, Schools and Municipal Government

  • About
    • About
    • Team
    • Jobs at JGPR
    • Internships
  • Services
    • Content
    • Strategy
    • Standards
    • COVID-19 Crisis Communications
    • Work With Us
  • Our Work
    • Portfolio
    • Sectors We Serve
  • News
    • COVID-19 News
    • Client News
    • JGPR News
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo

Merrimac Fire Department Shares Burn Permit Information Ahead of 2021 Open Burning Season

January 6, 2021 John Guilfoil Client News, Fire News

January 6, 2021 by John Guilfoil

For immediate release

MERRIMAC — Chief Larry Fisher and the Merrimac Fire Department wish to remind residents that open burning will begin on Friday, Jan. 15, 2021, and that a burn permit is required to be in compliance with Massachusetts law.

Residents can begin applying for a burn permit today by creating an account via the department’s new burn permit portal: merrimac.firepermits.com. Though residents will be able to apply and be approved for a permit today, open burning season does not start until Jan. 15, 2021.

Following approval of the burn permit, on any day that a resident plans to burn the permit must be activated by visiting their merrimac.firepermits.com account. When a burn is activated the department’s dispatch is able to quickly view any open burning location on a map, assisting in public safety and emergency management that day. If conditions are unsafe for burning, such as high winds or drought, a notification will be posted on the homepage of merrimac.firepermits.com and the system will prevent an individual from activating a burn.

“Our first year of online burn permitting last year went really well, and we’re excited to introduce this upgraded online experience with the addition of daily burn activation,” Chief Fisher said. “Moving the process online has reduced the amount of administrative time the department spends on processing burn permits, and the map overview of active burns is invaluable to public safety.”

Individuals who don’t have access to a computer should call the Merrimac Fire Department at 978-346-8211 for assistance with their burn permit application.

The Commonwealth’s annual burning period spans from Jan. 15 to May 1. Residents are able to burn brush, cane, driftwood, tree pruning and other forestry with a permit granted by their fire department.

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 by imprisonment for up to one month, or both.

Open burning must be done:

  • Between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. from January 15 to May 1
  • At least 75 feet from all buildings
  • As close as possible to the source of 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 prunings, 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

You 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 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.

For more information on open burning in Massachusetts, visit Mass.gov.

###

Merrimac Open Burning Graphic

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Client News,  Fire News open burning,  open burning permit

About John Guilfoil

John Guilfoil is the founder and principal owner of JGPR.

Primary Sidebar

Larry S. Fisher, Fire Chief
16 East Main St.,
Merrimac, MA 01860
Media Contact: Melina Gambino
Phone: 978-769-5616
Email: melina@jgpr.net

Email Updates

Email info@jgpr.net if you wish to be placed on a SPECIFIC email list for your beat, agency or community. Or enter your email address here to subscribe for ALL updates from JGPR and our clients.

Join 11,078 other subscribers

Recent News

  • Rowley Police Department Reports Communications System Briefly Knocked Offline  February 4, 2023
  • Easton Fire Department Extinguishes Two-Alarm House Fire February 4, 2023
  • Belmont Fire Department Extinguishes Two-Alarm House Fire February 4, 2023
  • Norton Fire Department Responds to Report of Falling Tree Damaging Home February 4, 2023
  • Town of Hopkinton Responds to Power Outage Caused by Tree Knocked Down Due to High Winds February 4, 2023

Content. Strategy. Standards.

When you need help, turn to the award-winning team at the John Guilfoil Public Relations Agency.


Contact Us Work With Us

Footer

Always Open

Call us: 617-993-0003

We’re available 24/7/365.

Location

Main Office
Northern New England

8 Prospect St.
Georgetown, MA 01833
617-993-0003

Southern New England
719 Washington St.
Canton, MA 02021
781-428-3299

Award Winning

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo

Stay up-to-date with breaking JGPR client news.

Subscribe to this website

Email info@jgpr.net if you wish to be placed on a SPECIFIC email list for your beat, agency or community. Or enter your email address here to subscribe for ALL updates from JGPR and our clients.

Join 11,078 other subscribers
Copyright © 2023 John Guilfoil Public Relations, LLC Log in · Privacy Policy
 

Loading Comments...