Upper Hominy Volunteer Fire Rescue, Candler, NC

Remember in an Emergency, Dial 9 - 1 - 1
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.