Small backyard fires for cooking or warmth are allowed if contained, attended, and not during a burn ban. Burning yard debris follows the open-burning rules: burn days only, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., no trash, and a safe distance from structures.
Buncombe County distinguishes contained recreational fires from open burning. A modest backyard fire in a pit or ring for cooking or warmth is generally permitted so long as it is supervised, kept clear of overhanging branches and structures, and extinguished when unattended. Burning larger amounts of yard debris is 'open burning' and must occur on an approved burn day between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. with only leaves, brush, and yard trimmings. All backyard fires are prohibited during a countywide burn ban and on Code Orange air-quality days. Neighboring nuisance smoke can also be actionable.
The Fire Marshal may order any unsafe or illegal fire extinguished; open-burning violations carry citations and civil penalties from the Air Quality Agency.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Buncombe County, NC
Buncombe County has no ordinance using the word 'hoarding,' but Sec. 6-57 prohibits keeping animals in numbers or conditions that constitute a public nuisanc...
Buncombe County, NC
Buncombe County's animal code has no general wildlife-feeding ban, but it prohibits keeping wild animals (Sec. 6-61). In bear-heavy western NC, the state Wil...
Buncombe County, NC
Home composting is permitted in Buncombe County (NC). There is no county ordinance banning or licensing backyard compost piles. The county actively promotes ...
Buncombe County, NC
Buncombe County has no ordinance prohibiting artificial turf on residential property. In the Steep Slope and Protected Ridge overlays and in watersheds, howe...
Buncombe County, NC
Buncombe County does not require native landscaping on ordinary lots, but in the Steep Slope and Protected Ridge overlays, required screening trees must be n...
Buncombe County, NC
Rain barrels and cisterns are legal in Buncombe County (NC). North Carolina does not restrict residential rainwater collection, and the county encourages it ...
See how Buncombe County's backyard fires rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.