By Staff
PAW PAW -- State law requires a permit to conduct any outdoor burning whenever the ground is not snow-covered.
The burn permit process is designed as a way to communicate when it is safe to burn yard and household debris, and how to do so appropriately.
More than one third of Michigan wildfires are caused by debris burning. Most of those occur during April and May.
People often underestimate the fire danger on any given day, and overestimate their ability to control their fire. Many times they also fail to take the proper safety precautions. Burning permits are required b y state law whenever the ground is not snow-covered. Burning in an approved debris burner does not require a permit. An approved debris burner is a masonry or metal container with a metal covering.
Campfires do not require a burning permit, either. Information on where to obtain a burn permit can be obtained on the DNR Web site at www.dnr.state.mi.us.
Instead of burning yard debris, recycle it. These materials can be used as a mulch, plowed into a garden or composted. Disposing of yard debris in this way is clean, easy, and does not present a risk of wildfire.