Open Burning Season Extended

Residents are reminded that the local open burning season has been extended to June 1.

Due to near-drought conditions that occurred earlier this spring, open burning often was prohibited and thus the season was extended now that rainfall has improved conditions for open burning.

Open burning permits, which are required for the activity, are issued at the fire marshal’s office at Newtown Municipal Center, 3 Primrose Street. Permits cost $5. Office hours for the fire marshal are 7 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.

After receiving a permit, permit holders must contact the town’s emergency dispatch center at 203-270-4200 on the day of the scheduled open burning to learn if weather conditions allow such activity that day.

Open burning permits are intended for the burning of brush only, whose trunk size is no larger than three inches in diameter. Open burning must be attended to at all times when burning is underway. Open burning is not allowed in wooded areas, and must be done at least 100 feet away from wooded areas, dried grass, and property lines.

On the day scheduled for open burning, winds must range from five to 15 miles per hour.

Permits will be canceled on days when the forest fire danger is listed as High, Very High, or Extreme, and also during high winds. Open burning areas must be extinguished by 5 pm on the day of the permit.

Prohibited is the open burning of cut trees, stumps, roots, leaves, grass, construction materials, and garbage.

The town inspects the site of planned open burning before that burning may occur. For details on open burning permits, contact the fire marshal’s office at 203-270-4370.

Information on forest fire danger levels is available on at www.newtown-cut.gov; click on the Smokey Bear icon on the lower right side of the page.