Burn permits and fire pits in Natick, Massachusetts
You can burn brush in Natick only from January 15 to May 1. Get permission by calling the Joint Dispatch Center at 508-647-9550 on the day you plan to burn. Burning is allowed only between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and more than 75 feet from any dwelling. Natick's sources don't set a local rule for backyard fire pits, so state rules apply.
| Burn season | January 15 to May 1 [1] |
| How to get permission | Call the Joint Dispatch Center on the day you plan to burn: 508-647-9550 [1] |
| What you can burn | Brush, cane, driftwood and forestry debris; not grass, hay, leaves or stumps [2] |
| Distance from dwellings | More than 75 feet from any dwelling [3] |
| Hours | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. [4] |
| Water on hand | Garden hose attached to a working water supply [5] |
| Fire pits | No local rule found; the Fire Chief may set open-flame permit policies [6] |
Brush burning
The Natick Fire Department follows the state open-burning season, January 15 to May 1. You don't fill out a form. Permission comes from calling the Joint Dispatch Center at 508-647-9550 on the day you plan to burn [1].
You may burn brush, cane, driftwood and forestry debris. Grass, hay, leaves and stumps aren't allowed [2]. Permits can also cover fire training and some agricultural burning.
Conditions
Open burning may be done only:
- during periods of good atmospheric ventilation, as determined by MassDEP
- without causing a nuisance
- on land near where the material was generated
- more than 75 feet from any dwelling [3]
- between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. [4]
The Fire Department also asks that a garden hose attached to a working water supply be on hand while you burn [5].
Fire pits and recreational fires
We found no local rule on backyard fire pits, chimineas or recreational fires in the Fire Department page or the general bylaws we reviewed. Article 60 lets the Fire Chief, with Select Board approval, adopt policies on permits and conditions for open flames in or around buildings or structures [6], but we didn't find a published fire-pit policy. State rules apply (see the state section). Call the Fire Department if you plan to use a fire pit for anything other than cooking.
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Next steps
- Gather only brush, cane, driftwood or forestry debris (no leaves, grass, hay or stumps), and pick a spot more than 75 feet from any dwelling.
- On the day you want to burn (January 15 to May 1), call the Joint Dispatch Center at 508-647-9550 for permission.
- Burn only between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., with a charged garden hose nearby.
- For a fire pit or chiminea, ask the Natick Fire Department whether any local policy applies.
Common questions
- How do I get a burn permit in Natick, Massachusetts?
- Call the Joint Dispatch Center at 508-647-9550 on the day you plan to burn. You don't fill out a form.
- When is burning season in Natick, MA?
- January 15 to May 1. Burning is allowed only between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and more than 75 feet from any dwelling.
- Can you burn leaves in Natick, Massachusetts?
- No. You may burn brush, cane, driftwood and forestry debris, but not grass, hay, leaves or stumps.
- Are fire pits allowed in Natick, Massachusetts?
- Natick's sources don't set a local rule for backyard fire pits, so state rules apply. Call the Fire Department if you plan to use a fire pit for anything other than cooking.
Massachusetts open burning and fire pit rules
State regulations (MassDEP, 310 CMR 7.07) and M.G.L. c. 48, §13 control outdoor burning.
Open burning of brush (where allowed):
- Only January 15 to May 1, between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
- You need a permit from your local fire department in advance. Fire officials decide each day whether conditions allow burning and can cancel permits.
- Burn at least 75 feet from any dwelling, and only when air quality allows (MassDEP hotline 800-882-1497).
- Allowed: brush, cane, driftwood and residential forestry debris, plus some agricultural materials.
- Not allowed: leaves, grass, hay, stumps, tires, construction debris or household trash.
- Banned at all times in 22 communities, including Belmont, Brookline and Newton. The others are Arlington, Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Chicopee, Everett, Fall River, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, Malden, Medford, New Bedford, Somerville, Springfield, Waltham, Watertown, West Springfield and Worcester.
Fire pits and outdoor cooking: cooking fires are allowed year-round everywhere and aren't covered by open-burning limits. They must be a reasonable size, kept away from combustibles, in a non-flammable enclosure, and tended by someone 18 or older. A fire pit used for anything other than cooking falls under the open-burning rules. Towns may further regulate or ban fire pits and chimineas.
Burning illegally, or letting a fire get out of control, can make you liable for firefighting costs, fines or jail time.
What the bylaw says
- Fire Department - Open Burning, Fire Department - Open Burning
The State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) allows open burning to be conducted between January 15th and May 1st of each year. Permission may be obtained simply by calling the Joint Dispatch Center on the day you plan to burn at 508-647-9550.
- Fire Department - Open Burning, Fire Department - Open Burning
Disposal of brush, cane, driftwood and forestry debris – excluding grass, hay, leaves, and stumps.
- Fire Department - Open Burning, Fire Department - Open Burning
At a location greater than 75 feet from any dwelling, and
- Fire Department - Open Burning, Fire Department - Open Burning
At a location greater than 75 feet from any dwelling, and Between 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Fire Department - Open Burning, Fire Department - Open Burning
A garden hose attached to a working water supply should also be present during burning operations.
- Art. 60, Section 3 Regulatory Policies (I)-(J), Town By-laws Article 60 - Fire and Life Safety Regulations (Aug 2023 compilation), p. 2
I. Issuance of permits for the use of open flames in or around buildings or structures. J. Conditions for the permitted use of open flames in or around buildings or structures.