Small recreational backyard fires are allowed if contained and kept small, but burning yard waste for disposal is treated as open burning and is banned inside Winston-Salem where pickup exists. The Fire Department does not issue permits for burning yard waste or land clearing.
A recreational backyard fire in Winston-Salem must be confined to a fire pit or chiminea, no larger than 3 feet high and 2 feet in diameter, at least 25 feet from structures, and burned with only dry, seasoned wood, not garbage or garden clippings. The Winston-Salem Fire Department explicitly does not issue permits for burning yard waste or clearing land. Disposal burning of leaves and yard trimmings is regulated as residential open burning by county EAP and is illegal where yard-waste pickup is provided (all of Winston-Salem). Always attend the fire and keep it away from structures and overhanging limbs.
Unpermitted disposal burning is subject to open-burning penalties ($100–$2,000 first offense) and fire code enforcement. The Fire Department can order any hazardous fire extinguished.
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See how Forsyth County's backyard fires rules stack up against other locations.
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