A permit is required for burning all Natural Vegetation that is hand piled, including leaf piles on the premises that they fall, existing small clearings to plant vegetable and flower gardens, and vegetative debris disposal from storm damage, weed abatement, disease and/or pest prevention. A hand piled permit does not include the burning of debris generated by machine clearing of an area for the purpose of establishing a garden spot or land clearing. This type of activity is considered a land type change and is subject to the EPD land clearing burning rules and may require the use of an Air Curtain Destructor depending on the county in which you live.
You can also obtain a burning permit by calling 1-877-OK2-BURN (652-2876). Fires should not be initiated before 8:00 a.m. and should be completely extinguished before dark.
If you are burning machine piled natural vegetation or conducting an area burn, please contact your local county office of the Georgia Forestry Commission.
Always check the Fire Weather Forecast and Current Fire Danger Rating for your area before initiating any type of outdoor burn.
You should not burn on days where the fire danger or fire danger forecast is high (class 4 or 5 is considered dangerous). If the day is a “high class fire day” there will be a warning statement at the top of your district forecast. Check this site for weather information in your district.
| Class Day | Adjective | ||
| 1 | Low fire danger | ||
| 2 | Moderate fire danger | ||
| 3 | High fire danger | ||
| 4 | Very High fire danger | ||
| 5 | Extreme fire danger |
~ YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR FIRE, AND ITS SMOKE ~
NOTICE: All outdoor burning must have a permit and is good only for natural vegetative materials. It is unlawful to burn man made materials such as tires, shingles, plastics, lumber, household garbage, etc.
Burning Permits Are Good Only For The Day They Were Issued. If you obtain your permit after dark, your permit will be good for the following day.