Fire Marshal Bill Halstead has announced that the annual open burning season is scheduled to start Saturday, November 1. Open burning permits, which are required for the activity, will start being issued Wednesday, October 29, at the fire marshal’s office at Newtown Municipal Center, 3 Primrose Street.

Permits are $5. Office hours for the fire marshal are 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.

Permits are for the burning of brush only, whose trunk size is no larger than three inches in diameter.

After receiving an open burning permit, permit holders must contact the town’s dispatch center at 203-270-4200 on the day of the scheduled open burning to learn if weather conditions allow such activity that day. Permit holders will be asked for their name and the address of their burn.

All burning permits are cancelled with the Forest Fire Danger is High or Extreme, on high wind days (when wind speed is greater than 15 mph), or if the air quality if 75 ppm anywhere in the state. On scheduled burn days, there must be a wind between 5-15 miles per hour.

Burning permits are issued for one day only. At the fire marshal’s discretion, permits may be issued for more than one day for special circumstances, with the understanding that the holder contacts the dispatch center each day before they begin burning.

There is to be no burning in woods. The burn pile must be at least 100 feet from the wood line, any dried grass, and the property line.

There is to be no burning of  cut trees, stumps, roots, leaves or grass, construction materials (including plywood, 2 by 4’s, shingles etc…), or garbage.

The fire must be attended at all times, and it must be extinguished by 5 pm.

For additional information contact the fire marshal’s office at 203-270-4370.

Information on forest fire danger levels is available on the town’s website (newtown-ct.gov); the information can be obtained by clicking on the Smokey Bear icon on the lower right side of the page.