Outdoor Burning Permit Information

Click here to access the State of Maine Open Burn Permit System

Burning permits will be issued after 9:15 am depending on weather conditions and class day. If we are allowing burn permits today, please visit the link above to apply for a burn permit.

Burning Permit Information Phone Number: 207-222-1604

Criteria for issuance of burn permits - Excerpts from Gorham SOP A006:
 
Starting in late fall and continuing through the winter months, the state of Maine Forest Service does not determine the class day. During this time the following will be implemented:
  • If there is no snow cover and wind speeds are above 10 mph burning permits will not be issued.
  • If there is snow cover and wind speeds are above 15 mph burning permits will not be issued.
  • High class day burning permits will not be issued unless it's a controlled burn with personnel and apparatus on site.
  • Very high or extreme class days no permits will be issued.
During spring, summer and early fall months the State of Maine Forest Service determines the class day and the following rules apply: 
  • Low class days with winds above 15 mph burning permits will not be issued.   
  • Moderate class day with winds above 10 mph burning permits will not be issued.      
  • High class day burning permits will not be issued unless it's a controlled burn with personnel and apparatus on site.
  • Very high or extreme class days no permits will be issued.
The two sites we use to determine the winds in Gorham are www.weather.gov and www.weather.com. Weather.gov is used to determine wind gusts and weather.com is used to determine the hourly winds (please keep in mind if there is an hour during the day that the winds exceed the criteria we do not issue permits).
 
Please go to: www.maine.gov/burnpermit/ for a burn permit. This site is updated daily by our staff and any day that we are issuing permits you can get one from 9:15 am until midnight. 
 
Please keep in mind that not following these burning rules you are in violation of outdoor fire laws, which can result in a class E crime. Class E crimes includes: burning without a permit, kindling in an imprudent manner (burning on a high fire danger day with no regard to the fire danger), burning prohibited materials (anything that's not wood), burn permit criteria (not following the guidelines on the issued burn permit), fire on land of another (burning on property you don't have permission to do so), failure to extinguish (not fully extinguishing your fire before leaving), and disposal of a lighted material (disposing of anything lighted to include cigarettes, stove ashes, fireworks, etc.).