Burning Permit Rules & Guidelines

How do I obtain A Burning Permit?

Ellsworth residents may get a burning permit at the Ellsworth Fire Department any day from 7am-7 pm. You must be the property owner or have written permission from the property owner. Depending on weather conditions, permits may have additional restrictions. Sometimes, especially in the summer months, burning permits are not given out at all. Call your local fire department or the Ellsworth Fire Department at 667-8666 to find out if burning permits are being issued. If you live in the urban area of the city, there may be restrictions on burning depending on the time of year and size of lot. If you live on or around the Rt. 1A corridor, you may obtain a burning permit at Annie’s Pride near the intersection of Bangor Road and Winkumpaugh Road.

Burning Permit Rules & Guidelines

The following guidelines shall apply to permits for brush burning. (Exceptions to these conditions require snow covered ground and inspection of the burn site)

• Permittees’ shall understand the restrictions stated on the burning permit and any additional restrictions added by the issuing firefighter.
• No partial or full-length trees over 4 inches diameter are to be included for burning.
• No stumps are to be burned. Brush piles shall not exceed 10 cubic yards (Approximately 6ft x 6ft x 6) before fire start.
• Materials to be burned other than brush shall be inspected by the department before a permit is issued.
• Permittees’ name (Must be the same as the person signing the permit as they are responsible for the fire).
• Weather conditions shall be suitable for burning in all cases. Including but not limited to a Fire Danger 2 or below and wind less than 10 miles per hour.
• The person burning must be the property owner or have written permission from the property owner before obtaining the fire permit. Maximum length of permit is seven (7) days at the fire departments discretion.
• Calls for permission to burn, on extended permits, shall be noted on the fire dept. copy of the permit and the permittee directed to place the firefighter’s initials and date called on their copy of the permit.
• Burn site located at a minimum of 50 feet from any structure.
• Burn site located at a minimum of 100 feet from neighboring residences or structures.
• Files, books, cardboard, plastic material, and any petroleum base product shall not be burned.

Fires must be attended at all times:

• Debris — at least 2 adults, hand tools such as shovel and rake, garden hose* and/or buckets of water with sufficient water supply and site shall be inspected before the permit is issued.
• Grass--at least 2 adults, brooms or other appropriate tools to suffocate a fire, charged garden hose* and/or buckets of water with sufficient water supply.
• Brush--at least 2 adults, hand tools such as shovel and rake, charged garden hose* and/or buckets of water with sufficient water supply.
  
  *Hose must be of a size and length sufficient to reach the burn area and able to provide an adequate water flow.

A small amount of paper or cardboard may be burned as kindling, only in small amounts necessary to ensure ignition of permissible fires.

The permittee must:

• Follow all safety guide lines
• Have the valid burning permit in their possession
• Assure that no nuisance smoke* is created
• The Permittee is responsible for the fire if it escapes and may be liable for suppression costs up to $125,000 as well as any damages caused to other property.
  * Nuisance means preventing the enjoyment of one’s property.

References:

• Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Air Quality Chapter 102 Open Burning Department of Conservation, Bureau of Forestry 12 MRSA Sections 9301 & 9321-9325

Ellsworth Fire Department……... 667-8666
Emergency call…………..911