Fire pit rules in Buncombe County, NC — also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances — cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Small recreational fires and fire pits for warmth or cooking are generally allowed, but any open burning must follow the Buncombe County Fire Prevention Ordinance and Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality rules. Fires must be attended and are banned during a county burn ban.
Buncombe County's Fire Prevention Ordinance (Chapter 30) adopts the North Carolina Fire Prevention Code, which treats a contained 'recreational fire' (typically 3 feet or less in diameter, for cooking or warmth) differently from larger open burning. Fire pits should be kept a safe distance from structures, attended at all times, and have a means of extinguishment nearby. Burning is prohibited when the Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality forecast is Code Orange or above, and whenever the Fire Marshal or NC Forest Service issues a burn ban. Inside Asheville and towns with yard-waste pickup, open burning is further restricted by the city.
Unsafe or banned fires can be ordered extinguished by the Fire Marshal; violations of the county Fire Prevention Ordinance are enforced as county code violations.
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 fire pit rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.