While open burning can provide a convenient way of disposing of yard waste, it does bring additional fire risk with it.

Residents are allowed to burn yard waste from 10 a.m. until sunset from now until November 22nd. To encourage other means of yard waste disposal, the City of Perry offers a free weekly yard waste pick-up on Wednesdays through December 9th, excluding the week of Thanksgiving. Perry Fire Chief Chris Hinds says he recommends taking advantage of the City’s yard waste pick up program, “The City strongly encourages, as does the fire department, to go with the curbside pickup. They want you to have your yard waste bagged and your trees and limbs bundled and ready for curbside and they’ll do that until December 9th. That is the most convenient way for getting rid of that and most friendly to your neighbors and everybody else.”

Hinds also advises people to have a way to extinguish the fire readily at hand and not to hesitate to call the fire department if it gets out of control.