Is It Legal To Burn Your Christmas Tree in Missouri? Sort Of

This is the reason I will never have a real tree, what do you do after you're done with the tree? Well in Missouri make sure you know what you can and can't do before you get fined.

If you're thinking "I'll just put it in the burn pile," it's a bit complicated. It depends on where you live. According to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, if you live in the country you are good to go. If you live with a city limit or if a city/town requires a permit you have to have that before you set that tree in the burn pile.

Missouri allows open burning of yard waste from sites provided it originates and is burned on the same premises. Materials such as tires or used oil may not be used to start the fires or be burned in the fires. Yard waste includes trees, tree leaves, brush or other vegetation.

Most of the permits are for bigger cities like St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield IO don't think we have to worry much about that. However, if you decide that burning your tree is best there are a few warnings to know.

Tree Burning Warning

The smoke from the tree can be toxic. Solo Stove says,

Coniferous needles contain nitrogen and substances called terpenes which are highly toxic when burned, making the smoke in your fire pit unsafe for you and others around your fire pit to breathe.

Your Christmas tree might look dry on the outside, but inside there's plenty of moisture. Solo Stove recommends drying your tree out for a few days and chopping as much as you can before you burn.

Finally, if you see sparks from the needles on the tree it's normal.

Christmas tree needles, no matter how dry, are extremely flammable and have the potential to create a shower of sparks that can be difficult to control. The sparks can leave your fire pit if you aren’t using a Shield and can set grass, clothes, and nearby furniture on fire.

The moral of the story. Get a fake tree and don't worry about the hassle.