Huntington burning season begins in mid–January

Date: 12/30/2020

HUNTINGTON – The Fire Department recently released its guidelines for the upcoming 2021 Open Air Burning Season, according to Massachusetts state law and MassDEP regulations.

Burning season starts Jan. 15 and runs through May 1. The season may end early depending on weather conditions “if things get really dry, really fast,” according to Huntington Fire Chief Josh Ellinger.

Ellinger said there will be no charge for a permit this year, like last year. “The Fire Department wants people to get permits,” he said, adding that the only limits are on what people can burn and the times, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. He said because Huntington is a Call Department, they are short-staffed on weekdays, and prefer to keep burns on weekends when they are fully staffed.

“It’s for people’s safety to let the Fire Department know. When I do issue a permit for that weekend, the addresses go to Northampton Dispatch. If someone calls in saying I saw a fire, Dispatch will know that there’s a fire with a permit at that address,” Ellinger said.

Fires need to be 75 feet away from structures in an area clear of debris, and kept to a manageable size. People also must have a water supply nearby, such as a garden hose to put the fire out quickly.

According to state regulations, only certain materials can be burned. These include:

Brush, cane, driftwood, and forestry debris from other than commercial or industrial land clearing operations.
Agricultural materials such as fruit tree and bush prunings, raspberry stalks, and infected bee hives for disease control.
Trees and brush resulting from agricultural land clearing.
Fungus infected elm wood, if no other acceptable means of disposal is available.

Burning leaves and other materials that are prohibited include:

Brush, trees, cane and driftwood from commercial and/or industrial land clearing operations.
Grass, hay, leaves, stumps, and tires.
Construction material and debris

Ellinger said the department will gladly come out to inspect the burning site to ensure a safe 2021 burning season.

Any questions, email FireDept@huntingtonma.us or call 512-5212.