Sometimes the easiest way to get rid of unwanted rubbish is to pile it up and burn it.

But if you live in Columbus or Starkville, there are limits. Some fires require a permit. Others don’t. Certain materials are always illegal to burn.

So, do you need a permit to burn leaves or light a fire pit in your backyard? Can you fire up the grill during a burn ban?

Which burns require a permit and which are exempt?

In both Columbus and Starkville, residents must obtain a permit to burn “natural vegetation” – such as leaves and limbs – outdoors.

Burning manufactured or treated wood, plastic, tires or any inorganic material is illegal and ineligible for a permit.

By contrast, outdoor cooking fires, such as for grilling, as well as fires that serve a religious purpose do not require a permit, Columbus Fire and Rescue Chief Duane Hughes said.

“There are some religions that practice smoke purification,” Hughes said. “We also have some Hasidic Jewish communities here that practice offering fires.”

Recreational fires, such as fire pits, generally don’t require a permit in either city. In Starkville, those fires must be contained in some type of structure, anything from a hole dug in the ground to a commercially available fire pit, said Mark McCurdy, the city’s fire marshal. In Columbus, Hughes said recreational fires, even bonfires, are fine without a permit unless smoke encroaches on other people’s property or the flames can be seen from beyond your property line.

How do I get a burn permit and how much do they cost?

The process is very simple. Call the fire department. Firefighters will come inspect your property, as well as the conditions/materials for the fire. If all is satisfactory, they will issue the permit for a certain time frame.

In Columbus, Hughes said permits are free, and the inspections entail making sure the fire will be at least 50 feet from a structure and will have access to an adequate water source. CFR-issued permits are typically good for 24 to 72 hours.

McCurdy said Starkville has two categories for burn permits. Residential, which is typical yard rubbish burning, comes with a $3 fee. Commercial permits, sometimes requested to clear land for development, cost the applicant $200.

Residential permits are issued with a weeklong time frame, McCurdy said, while commercial permit lengths are considered “case by case.”

“It’s not uncommon to write a permit on Monday, then it rains for the next few days,” he said.

Columbus issues burn permits “weekly,” Hughes said, while Starkville issues about 100 residential and just a handful of commercial permits each year, according to McCurdy.

What about burning outside the city limits?

Counties typically don’t require burn permits, Lowndes County Fire Services Coordinator Neal Austin said. But in cases where a property owner wants to conduct a controlled burn of their grass or timber, they should cut a fire ring around the area to contain the burn. It’s also good to call your district fire department beforehand as a courtesy.

Just like in cities, state law prohibits burning non-wood products, such as tires, shingles and plastic.

What if there is a burn ban?

Sometimes, drought conditions result in city or countywide burn bans. In those cases, grilling, religious fires and some industrial burning is still allowed, Hughes said, but nothing else.

Neither city issues permits during burn bans, and those that have been issued are revoked until the burn ban lifts.

In rural areas, a burn ban prohibits all burning except for outdoor cooking, Austin said, though certified foresters can get permission from the Mississippi Forestry Commission for controlled burning during a ban.

What are the penalties for illegal burning?

The state penalty, as well as in Starkville, is a $500 fine, while Hughes said the fine is $250 in Columbus.

In any case, those penalties are “rare.” While nuisance burning happens, both Hughes and McCurdy said most illegal burning comes from citizens not knowing the law.

“If there’s any doubt, just call,” Hughes said. “It’s not going to cost you anything for us to come out.”

Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.