Bartow County, GA Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Bartow County, GA, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Who can declare a ban
- Bartow County fire chief
- Covered activities
- Campfires, bonfires, all open burning types
- Exempt activity
- Cooking with typical grills or smokers
- First-offense fine
- $200 minimum
- Maximum burn-ban fine
- $1,200 per offense
- Related rule
- Georgia Burn Ban adopted by reference
Summary
Unincorporated Bartow County lets the fire chief ban all open burning, including backyard campfires and bonfires, whenever drought or other dangerous conditions raise fire risk. The ban can cover the whole county or just part of it and stays in force until lifted, though it does not stop cooking on a typical grill or smoker.
The fire chief of the county shall be authorized to ban all open burning of all types, including camp fires, bonfires, and any other open burning, when atmospheric, environmental, drought or other dangerous conditions of any type warrant such ban by creating significant risk of fire. Such ban, once declared, shall continue until lifted. Such ban can be imposed county-wide or limited to a specified area or areas or limited in other ways.
Full Breakdown
Section 34-355(d) of the Bartow County Code gives the county fire chief broad authority to ban open burning of every kind, expressly naming campfires and bonfires, whenever atmospheric, environmental, drought or other dangerous conditions create a significant risk of fire. A declared ban stays in effect until the fire chief lifts it, and it can be imposed county-wide or narrowed to a specific area. 02(5), which layers on additional summer burn restrictions specific to Bartow County and lets the fire chief approve debris burning on a case-by-case application.
Outside of a declared ban, a backyard fire pit or campfire is not separately licensed under this article, but it remains subject to the general open burning prohibitions on burning treated wood, plastics, rubber and petroleum products found in section 34-355(c), and to the county's litter and clean-premises rules. Fire marshals and county code enforcement officers patrol for violations and can enter property to investigate, and any person conducting a banned burn, along with the property owner who allows it, can be cited.
Violations & Fines
Burning during a declared ban, or burning prohibited materials in a fire pit, is enforced through the citation and fine schedule of section 34-354: a $200.00 minimum fine for a first violation, $400.00 for a second, and $600.00 for a third or later violation, up to a maximum of $1,200.00 for burn-ban violations under section 34-355(a) or $1,000.00 for other violations, with aggravating circumstances doubling the fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a campfire in my backyard in unincorporated Bartow County?
Who decides when fire pits and campfires have to stop?
Does a burn ban stop me from using my grill or smoker?
What can I get fined for an illegal fire pit burn?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bartow County
How Bartow County compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·Compare Bartow County to another location·View the Georgia fire regulations overview
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