Permits are Required for Outside Burning
Newbury residents are reminded that permits are required for outside burning. Seasonal permits are available for wood burning fireplaces and fire pits (Category I) (No more that 2 ft in diameter) (Permits are required for the new Solo stoves) and campfires (Category II) (2-4" in diameter) on line from the New Hampshire fire permit website www.NHFirePermit.com. .
Permits are not required for gas or charcoal grills or fire pits
The permit is issued in the name of the person who will be doing the burning. Renters of long term and short term (Air BnB) properties must have written permission from the property owner and are required to obtain their own permit from the NH Fire Permit website. Owners should inform renters of the regulations.
Brush Burning
All burning of brush requires a Category III burn permit from the Forest Fire Warden. Contact Warden Dave Smith at (603) 938-5925 to schedule an inspection of the burn site. Permits may not be issued on posted High or Very High Fire Danger Days.
Please keep in mind that burning under Category II and III permits is restricted to the hours of 5pm and 9am. See Newbury Fire Rescue Outside Burning Information for frequency asked information and other outside burning restrictions.
Additional Information
RSA 227-L:17, the state of New Hampshire requires anyone who wishes to burn clean, ordinary combustibles such as leaves, brush or untreated lumber, or have a camp or cooking fire to have written permission from the landowner and a written fire permit from the local forest fire warden or local fire department in the town or city where the fire will be kindled.
What time can a fire be kindled?
Fires may only be kindled after 5:00 p.m. and must be extinguished before 9:00 a.m.
There are two exemptions to this:
1: When the Forest Fire Warden determines that conditions are appropriate Category I (Campfire) permits may allow for a small (under 2 foot diameter) fire to be burned during the day.
2: When there is continuous rain fall, however, the fire must be extinguished when the rain stops and depending on what town you are burning in, there may be some variances to these times. A Fire Permit is still required when it is raining.
What can be burned?
- Clean, untreated wood and brush.
- Material must be no greater than 5 inches in diameter.
What cannot be burned?
- Combustible domestic waste as defined by RSA-125N, including, but not limited to:
- Household trash
- Packaging Material
- Plastic
- Coated or laminated paper
- Rubber
- Painted or treated wood
- Coated or treated cardboard
- Oily rags
- Animal, vegetable and kitchen waste
- Treated wood or composite materials
Where are you going to burn? How far from the nearest structure, trees and dead vegetation or overhead phone or power lines? Fires must be no closer than 50 feet from a structure, or 25 feet if in an approved incinerator.
What do you have for fire protection? A hose, shovel or rake, and a bucket of water should be available at the fire. You are liable for the costs of extinguishing escaped fires.
How much help will you have during the burn? Your fire must be attended at all times, or completely extinguished.
Download the NH Forests & Lands Its the Law Brochure