State officials: Burning trash against North Carolina law

State officials are reminding folks that the open burning of trash, metal, plastic and all other human-made materials not only harms the environment and poses a public health risk, it’s against the law.

Careless debris burning is the leading cause of wildfires in North Carolina, and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality has issued a reminder that, “If it doesn’t grow, don’t burn it.”

Open burning is only allowed in limited circumstances and only for vegetative materials like leaves, limbs and yard debris.

The open burning rule, the state’s oldest air quality regulation, limits what can be burned outdoors and when.

The rule also stipulates the following:

• Residential yard waste and commercial land clearing burning can only occur between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. No new vegetation can be added to a burn pile after 6 p.m.
• Burning is only allowed when the air quality forecast is Code Green or Code Yellow. Burning on Code Orange, Red or Purple days is prohibited. Check your county’s air quality forecast at the online Air Quality Portal.
• Yard waste must originate at a private residence and be burned on that site. In other words, residents can only burn vegetation from their own yard — not yard waste from other homes or locations.
• Burning of yard waste is only allowed if permitted under local ordinances and only if public pickup of yard debris is not available.
• Campfires, outdoor cooking fires and bonfires are permissible, unless prohibited by local ordinances or temporary burn bans, provided that only vegetation such as firewood is burned. Fires must be controlled and never left unattended.

Amid the ongoing cleanup from Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina, special provisions are in place through the end of March “to help facilitate efficient and safe processing of vegetative disaster debris in impacted counties,” officials said. While grinding or chipping wood debris is preferable, guidance for burning debris is available online.

Commercial land clearing operations are also limited by the open burning rule. Land clearing is the uprooting or clearing of vegetation in connection with construction, development or mining, or the initial clearing of vegetation to enhance property value. Officials said the burning of this debris must comply with all open burning rules, including the following restrictions:

• The vegetation should originate on the site where the burn is taking place. (Land clearing waste can be transported and burned at another site up to four times a year only if specific conditions in the open burning rules are met).
• Kerosene or diesel fuel may be used to start a land-clearing fire, but no other man-made materials can be burned.
• Land clearing burn piles must be at least 500 feet from occupied structures and at least 250 feet from any public road when the prevailing winds are blowing toward the road. Information on wind direction is available from the National Weather Service.

The Division of Air Quality enforces the state open burning rule, partnering with local law enforcement, firefighters and fire marshals, and the N.C. Forest Service to ensure compliance. Violators can be fined up to $25,000 per violation per day. To submit an open burning complaint, contact the DEQ Regional Office that serves your county. Anonymous complaints can be submitted via an online tool.

The N.C Forest Service may require an open burning permit before certain fires are lit, including fires in protected areas. The Division of Air Quality does not issue burn permits. Burn permits are available through the N.C. Forest Service’s online application at ncforestservice.gov/burnpermit or by contacting a local N.C. Forest Service county office or local permitting agent. For more information, contact the N.C. Forest Service.

County and municipal governments may have more stringent burning restrictions than state law. Contact your local officials to learn what burning rules may be in place where you live.

The open burning rule includes exceptions for certain special burns, including firefighter training exercises and prescribed burns.