Open burning season is officially underway in the City of Perry.

Residents are allowed to burn yard waste from 10 a.m. until sunset from now until November 22nd. Perry Fire Chief Chris Hinds asks those who decide to burn their debris to make sure it’s their top priority when the fire is active, “Use some common sense and safety measures when you’re burning yard waste. Of course, you don’t want to allow your kids to be playing when you’re trying to burn it. You don’t want to be mowing around it while you’ve got your yard waste (burning); you don’t want to be going around it with your lawn mower and fanning it with the mower and blowing your sparks. You need to be watching it at all times and controlling it to make sure it doesn’t spread.”

Hinds also advises people to have a way to extinguish the fire readily at hand, and to not hesitate to call the fire department if it gets out of control. City staff also reminds people they will have weekly yard waste pick-up on Wednesdays through December 9th, excluding the week of Thanksgiving. City officials, including Hinds, encourage residents to utilize that service instead of burning.