OTISFIELD — Residents will no longer be able to get fire permits from the Town Office.

Starting immediately, residents must obtain a weekend permit from a fire department officer and go online and obtain a state permit on weekdays.

Fire Chief Kyle Jordan told the board at last week’s meeting that the state has shut down its weekend permit issuing site for Saturdays and Sundays, making those days the responsibility of the town.

“Now local authorities will have to make that decision on Saturday and Sunday,” said Jordan.

Jordan said people can still call the state online system for weekday permits, but they must call one of the local fire department officers on the weekends.

Residents are asked to go onto the town’s website for scheduling and contact numbers. For example, on Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3, they will see Len Adler will be available at 627-4610 to issue local fire permits.

The permits will be issued at their discretion based in large part on the state’s fire hazard rating system for any particular day.

The change was approved by the Board of Selectmen, who suggested it might be documented as a policy in the future.

Fire chiefs across the state were notified last week that the state will shut down its online permit system on Saturdays and Sundays because of a staff shortage. The system remains open for online permits Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The online service, through the Maine Forest Service, previously allowed people to purchase an open burning permit 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Permits are $7 each and $2 from each permit goes to the organized municipality where it was purchased.

The allowable burn times, except if overridden by the local town, is after 5 p.m. and before 9 a.m. The exception is when there is a steady rain or the ground is completely covered in snow.

Jordan said that Otisfield generally allows open burning from 5 to 9 p.m. and 7 to 9 a.m.

Online permits are only available on class one or two days, which means the hazard for fire is minimum. The system uses a one through four scale for rating fire hazard. The site also provides people with the daily classification of fire danger.

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