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Don’t Get Burned!
You can be fined up to
$10,000.00 for illegal open burning in North Carolina.
The basic message of the state open-burning rule is simple: only
leaves, branches and other plant growth can be burned – nothing
else. That means no trash, lumber, tires or old newspapers. If local
pick-up is available, you can’t even burn leaves and branches.
Do not
burn:
Garbage, Paper and Cardboard
Tires and other rubber products
Building materials, including lumber and wood scraps
Wire, plastics and synthetic materials
Asphalt shingles and heavy oils
Paints, household and agricultural chemicals.
What’s
allowed under the law?
Homeowners can burn yard trimmings-excluding logs and stumps over 6
inches in diameter-if it is allowed under local ordinances, no
public pick-up is available, and it doesn’t cause a public nuisance.
Other allowable open burning includes campfires, outdoor barbeques
and bonfires for festive occasions. Landowners also can open burn
vegetation to clear land or rights-of-way, provided that:
Prevailing winds are away from built up areas and roads Fires are at
least 1,000 feet away from occupied buildings AND
burning is done between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Other occasions where open burning is allowed- with Division of Air
Quality approval- includes fires for: Training firefighting
personnel, managing forest lands or wildlife habitat; controlling
agricultural diseases and pests, and disposing of storm damaged
materials generated by hurricanes and tornadoes and other natural
disasters. You may need a permit from the North Carolina Division of
Forest Resources or local government before you can burn, even for
allowable purposes. However, such permits do not excuse a person
from following the state’s open burning rules.
If you are planning to burn, please stop at the Main station at 1750
Pisgah Highway and get a burning permit. The duty firefighters can
answer questions you may have in regards to fire safety, and
permissible burning. If someone complains or calls in about your
fire, then that makes it a nuisance fire and you may be asked to
extinguish it. |
