Chatham County Code Sec. 21-306 allows backyard fires for recreational purposes or cooking food for immediate human consumption as an exception to the open-burning ban, even within a mile of a city or subdivision, using only the resident's own materials in a safely contained fire.
Recreational backyard fires are an express exception to the open-burning prohibition. Section 21-306(2)(e) permits fires for recreational purposes or cooking food for immediate human consumption, and Sec. 21-306(2)(a) allows contained fire pits under 48 inches in diameter. The fire must burn only the resident's own materials and be safely contained. Georgia Forestry Commission safety rules for outdoor fires apply: keep the fire 25 feet from woodlands and 50 feet from structures, attend it until fully extinguished, burn only between sunrise and sunset, and keep water and tools handy. A Georgia Forestry Commission or other public-safety official may shut a fire down if it becomes a nuisance or hazard. Georgia's adopted IFC 2018 recreational-fire rules also apply.
An out-of-control or prohibited backyard fire is a Code violation; on conviction, a fine up to $500 and/or 30 days, each day a separate offense (Sec. 21-309). Officials may extinguish hazardous fires. Call 911 for an escaped fire.
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