Forsyth County, NC Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)
Key Facts
- Buffer distance
- 10 feet from combustible-sided dwelling
- Trigger material
- cover with spread rate over 24 in/min
- Exemption
- one- and two-family dwellings
- Exemption
- pine straw fallen from same-parcel trees
- Effective date
- August 25, 2023
- Penalty
- civil penalty plus Class 3 misdemeanor
Summary
Forsyth County bars piling fast-burning pine straw or similar landscape cover within ten feet of a dwelling that has combustible siding like vinyl, aluminum, or wood. Single- and two-family homes are exempt, and fallen pine straw from the same lot's own trees does not count, but violations carry the fire code's misdemeanor penalty.
Sec. 10-15 - Use of combustible landscaping materials. No pine straw mulch or any other landscape cover material with a fire rate of spread more than twenty-four (24) inches per minute shall be placed, kept, or stored within ten (10) feet of dwellings with combustible exterior construction including, but not limited to, vinyl, aluminum, Masonite or similar material, or wood siding. This provision shall not apply to one- and two-family dwellings as defined in section R101.2 of the North Carolina Residential Building Code, as the same may be amended, nor shall it apply to pine straw falling from trees located on the same parcel as the dwelling. For the purpose of this section, a dwelling with combustible material no lower than ten (10) feet above ground level shall not be considered to be a dwelling with combustible exterior. This section shall be effective on August 25, 2023.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 68).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 10-15 of the Forsyth County Code bars placing, keeping, or storing pine straw mulch or any other landscape cover material with a fire rate of spread faster than twenty-four inches per minute within ten feet of a dwelling that has combustible exterior construction, expressly naming vinyl, aluminum, Masonite, and wood siding. The rule carves out two exceptions: it does not apply to one- and two-family dwellings as defined under North Carolina Residential Building Code Sec. 2, and it does not reach pine straw that has simply fallen from trees on the same parcel as the dwelling.
A dwelling is not considered to have a combustible exterior for this section if the combustible material starts no lower than ten feet above ground level, effectively exempting brick or masonry homes with only high combustible trim. The provision, adopted by Ord. No. 2022-276 and effective August 25, 2023, sits within Chapter 10, Fire Prevention and Protection, enforced by the Forsyth County Fire Marshal under Sec. 10-3's general inspection authority, and it works alongside the county's broader adoption of the North Carolina State Building Code: Fire Prevention Code under Sec. 10-4.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Sec. 10-15 is enforced under Sec. 10-10's fire code penalties: the fire marshal may issue a written citation carrying a civil penalty set by the board of county commissioners' fee schedule, due within seventy-two hours, and each day the combustible material remains within the ten-foot zone is a separate offense. A person who fails to comply is also guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars, and the fire marshal, through the county attorney, may seek an injunction against continued violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the pine straw rule apply to a typical single-family house?
How close can pine straw be piled to a covered dwelling?
What if pine straw naturally falls near my house from my own trees?
What happens if I violate the combustible landscaping rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Forsyth County
Compare Forsyth County to another location·View the North Carolina fire regulations overview
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