[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town of Ridgefield 3-8-2000 (Ch. 7, Art. II of the 1974 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fire prevention — See Ch. 175.
Parks and recreation — See Ch. 269.
[Amended 4-23-2003]
Herewith ordained are burning permit rules and regulations for the Town of Ridgefield, pursuant to guidelines of EPAC 15-Rev 5/92, Department of Environmental Protection, State of Connecticut, Public Act No. 99-225. The Town Fire Chief, Assistant Fire Chief and Fire Marshal are herewith designated as open burning officials, to whom permit applications for regulated open burning must be submitted along with an application fee as provided in Chapter 170, Fees, § 170-2, which fee may be adjusted from time to time by the Board of Selectmen.
[Amended 4-23-2003]
Open burning is authorized only pursuant to a permit issued by an open burning official, issued according and pursuant to the following:
A. 
Burning permits are issued for brush only.
[Amended 3-17-2010]
B. 
The owner(s) of the land where burning is to be permitted must sign both the application and permit.
[Amended 3-17-2010]
C. 
An owner must notify the Town Fire Department on the day of and prior to burning, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. only, to confirm that conditions are suitable for burning to proceed that day. Confirmation to proceed shall be predicated and conditional upon partly sunny to sunny conditions with wind speeds between five and 15 miles per hour. Confirmed telephone notification is sufficient.
D. 
Permits are valid for seven days from the date of issue, for a single burning only.
[Amended 3-17-2010]
E. 
Burning must be conducted between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., with burning completed by 5:00 p.m.
F. 
Objectionable odors and excessive smoke are to be avoided and all reasonable measures taken to assure complete combustion.
G. 
All reasonable safety precautions must be taken, including clearing of combustible grass and trees in the burning area, wetting down the surrounding area, and placing of functional fire extinguishers or a garden hose in the area.
H. 
The burning permit must be immediately available to be produced at the site during burning.
[Amended 3-17-2010]
I. 
Burning must not take place during advisory or threatening atmospheric conditions, during air pollution emergency episodes, during periods when forest fire danger is high or extreme, within 100 feet of a woodland or a grassland adjacent to a woodland, or in violation of any other provision of this chapter or any special conditions noted on the permit.
J. 
Burning must cease if so directed by the open burning official or his or her lawful designee, the State Department of Environmental Protection, or the Town Fire Department.
K. 
Under no circumstances shall the burning of household trash, construction material, demolition material or hazardous materials be allowed.
This chapter shall not govern the following:
A. 
Contained campfires or barbecues.
B. 
Recreational or ceremonial bonfires approved by the Fire Marshal.
C. 
The burning of material for the purpose of duly authorized fire-fighting training.
D. 
Fires in salamanders used by workers for heating construction materials when temperatures require it.
Burning without a permit or in violation of any provision of this chapter or any special condition appearing on the permit shall result in issuance of a written warning for a first offense. Subsequent violations shall be punishable by a fine of $50 for a second offense and of $90 for each subsequent offense thereafter, which fines may be adjusted without further municipal action so as to be in conformity with the State of Connecticut Superior Court Mail in Violations and Infraction Schedule. Burning permits will not be issued to any individual in whose name unpaid fines are outstanding.