Burning Permits

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Spring is upon us and with that comes yard cleanup. While I know some of you are aware of our open burning policy in town, there are homeowners out there who are not. The Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection is the governing agent in our state. This agency trains and assigns the burning officials for our town. Presently the burning officials are Chief Charles Flynn and Captain/Fire Marshal Michael Thibedeau. These are the two people who can sign burning permits in our town. Presently permits are at no cost to residents.

We will allow controlled burning with a permit which is obtained at the main firehouse at 73 Mountain Rd. There are rules associated with this permit and they are as follows:

1. Only the materials and quantities specified can be burned.

2. Only brush no greater than three inches in diameter can be burned.

3. No objectionable odors or excessive smoke may be created.

4. All reasonable safety precautions are to be taken: clearing the area and having an extinguisher or garden hose available.

5. When the applicant is not the property owner, the applicant shall be the person who legally resides on the property and shall be responsible for notifying the property owner of the proposed burning prior to the actual burning.

6. Verbal approval must be obtained from the Fire Department official on duty on the day of and prior to the burning at 860-668-3888.

7. A responsible person must be on site during the burning and shall have a means of contacting the fire department in the event of an emergency.

8. Burning must be conducted between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

9. Fire must be extinguished by 5 p.m.

10. DEEP is the governing agent and they make daily notification to the fire department if burning is allowed on that day depending on the conditions.

11. Burning must cease if so directed by an official of the Fire Marshal’s Office, Fire Department, Police Department or State DEEP.

12. The burning permit must be immediately available at the burning site at all times during the burning.

The rules are in place for the safety of the homeowner and their neighbors. We will respond to open burning if someone complains, assess the situation and make a decision based on what we find at the burn site. This system is for the convenience of the homeowners so they can avoid having to haul brush to the landfill. Please remember a permit and burning safely is always required.

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