Burn permits required through May

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Tennessee Department of Agriculture officials announced on Tuesday that debris burn permits are required throughout the state through May 15.

Tennessee officials issue a statewide permit requirement in October each year. That requirement goes through May. Permits will only be issued if conditions are safe, officials said.

Those interested in obtaining a burn permit can do so on the BurnSafeTN website or through the MyTN app. Permits will be issued seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. CT.

“Fire prevention begins with you,” State Forester David Arnold said. “Burning piles of leaves and brush can be an efficient way of cleaning up your yard, but don’t let that debris burn turn into a wildfire.”

Materials that can be burned include:

• Leaves
• Branches
• Tree limbs
• Twigs
• Other woody vegetation

A list of materials that cannot be burned can be found on Tennessee’s Department of Environment and Conservation website. Additional restrictions could be in place for those who live inside city limits. Forestry officials advise people to check with the municipality for additional restrictions before they burn.

Arnold offered other tips for safe burning. “Practice safe debris burning by creating a wide vegetation-free zone around your pile, have a rake, shovel, or even a bucket of water on hand to control embers, keep an eye on changing weather conditions, and always stay with your fire until it is completely out,” he said.

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