Open Burning:

1. Under the authority of the Department of Environmental Management, open burning of any type requires a written permit issued by your local fire department.

2. In all instances the fire must be attended until it is fully extinguished.

3. The materials being burned must be clean brush or untreated wood.

4. Absolutely NO hazardous materials shall be burned.

5. Permits can only be issued to residential home owners

6. Commercial and Industrial operations are not permitted to burn.

Penalties for Violations: 

1. A fine of no less than $10.00 and no more than $100.00 or imprisonment for no less than 10 days and no more than 30 days or both. 

2. Liabilities for all damages and suppression cost in fighting the fire. 

Burning in Barrel Burners and Outside Fireplaces:

1. Burning is allowed with out a permit before 10:00am and after 5:00pm from March 15th to may 15th.

2. Burning is allowed with permit between 10:00am and 5:00pm unless rain is falling or snow covers the ground.

3. In both instances the fire must be attended until fully extinguished.

4. This applies to rubbish burners and outside fireplaces only. Any other open burning requires the written permit as stated above.

5. Penalties for a violation are the same as above. 

 

How to get a Burn Permit

Contact us on our non-emergency line at (401) 295-3173 to set up an appointment. The fire chief or a representative will get back to you in a timely manor. As volunteers we may not be in the office every day so please allow us a few days prior to when you want to burn to get back to you. Do not expect to call us the morning of and be awarded a burn permit.

A line officer will come to your home and inspect the burning site. They will look for, what is being burnt, the size of the pile, the surrounding area, and an adequate water supply to extinguish the fire. If everything checks out a burn permit will be awarded to you for the day.