Photo by Idaho Firewise Marshalltown residents are again able to burn yard waste such as leaves and small branches.

As of April 1, residents of Marshalltown are able to burn their yard waste again.

In March Marshalltown saw an uptick in the number of unauthorized burnings, but now people can start to clean up their yards again.

“It’s yard waste only,” said David Rierson, fire chief. “Like leaves, small branches, bushes that have died, that’s all the stuff you can burn.”

It has never been legal to burn garbage, Rierson said.

From April 1 to June 30 yard waste burning is allowed in town and then again from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30.

“If you’re burning it on the ground it has to be at least 50 feet from any structure,” Rierson said. “If you’re burning in a barrel or a container to control the embers or the ash then it’s 15 feet.”

Burning is only allowed from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“A recreational fire is allowed year round, it’s just the burning of the yard waste that’s curtailed during those seven months,” Rierson said.

So bonfires in authorized burn pits are allowed.

“The fire has to be attended at all times,” Rierson said.

There has to be a way to extinguish the fire using either a garden hose or fire extinguisher.

“If the wind is over 15 miles per hour or greater then burning is not allowed,” Rierson said.

Fines for unauthorized burning escalates. The first fine is $100 and goes up by $100 for each infraction.

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Contact Thomas Nelson at (641)753-6611 or tnelson@timesrepublican.com