Massachusetts Burn Permit: Do You Need One and When
Massachusetts opens burning only from January 15 to May 1, between 10am and 4pm, on a permit you get from your own fire department, and twenty two cities and towns do not allow it at all.
Do you need a burn permit in Massachusetts?
Yes, and the state issues it
Massachusetts requires a state burning permit, and open burning runs January 15 through May 1.
- Who issues it
- Massachusetts Department of Fire Services and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
- Issued by
- your local fire department, in advance; there is no state online system
If open burning is allowed in your community, contact your local fire department to obtain an open burning permit in advance. You will not find any links on the state website for open burning permits. You must contact your local fire department directly. Open burning permits are issued at the local level based on local conditions.Open Burning Safety, Department of Fire Services and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
Where you get one
- Local fire department
When you may burn in Massachusetts
Statewide dates
Open burning runs January 15 through May 1.
Massachusetts allows open burning only between January 15 and May 1, and only between 10 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon.
- Who sets it
- Massachusetts Department of Fire Services and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
- Checked against
- Open Burning Safety, Department of Fire Services and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
Between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. from January 15 to May 1Open Burning Safety, Department of Fire Services and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
The hours are part of the rule and are the piece most often missed: Massachusetts allows burning between 10 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon.
What you may and may not burn in Massachusetts
What the state names as burnable
- 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
What it names as off the pile
- leaves
- brush, trees, cane or driftwood from commercial or industrial land clearing
- grass
- hay
- stumps
- tires
- construction materials or demolition debris
- household trash
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 trashOpen Burning Safety, Department of Fire Services and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
What Massachusetts asks of the weather and the site
Setbacks, wind limits and what has to be on hand. These are written into the rule rather than offered as advice.
- At least 75 feet from all dwellings
- As close as possible to the source of the material being burned
- Only when air quality is acceptable for burning
- An adult present and attending the fire until it is completely out
- Water supply, shovels and rakes on hand, water source tested before lighting
- Put the fire out if winds pick up or the weather changes
- Never use gasoline, kerosene or other flammable liquid to start it
Put the fire out if winds pick up or the weather changes. Use common sense. Don't wait for the fire department to tell you that it has become unsafe to burn. Most fires get out of control during sudden wind changes.Open Burning Safety, Department of Fire Services and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
What to check before you light in Massachusetts
A permit or a season says you may burn in general. What says you may burn today is separate, it changes daily on a wind and humidity forecast, and it overrides a permit already in hand. In Massachusetts it is published here.
a daily determination by state fire wardens on whether conditions allow open burning, plus the state's air quality map and hotline
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
State fire wardens determine each day whether conditions are safe for open burning. Weather and air quality can change rapidly, especially in the spring, and fire departments can rescind permits when that happens.Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
What your town can add in Massachusetts
Twenty two cities and towns ban open burning outright at all times, and other communities can regulate or prohibit fire pits and outdoor fireplaces on their own.
Communities where open burning is prohibited at all times: Arlington, Belmont, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Chicopee, Everett, Fall River, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, Malden, Medford, New Bedford, Newton, Somerville, Springfield, Waltham, Watertown, West Springfield, Worcester.Open Burning Safety, Department of Fire Services and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, read September 23, 2026. Read it at the source
Massachusetts burn permit questions
Burn permits in other states
Massachusetts rules read September 23, 2026 from Open Burning Safety, Department of Fire Services and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Rules change, a county or town may be stricter than the state, and a burn ban issued today overrides a season that is otherwise open. Every state is on the burn permit hub.