Fulton County, GA Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Fulton County, GA, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Recreational campfires/barbecues
- No permit, no fee
- Bonfires
- Permit required, 50-ft structure clearance
- Wasteburner alternative
- 15-ft clearance from structure
- Enforcing agency
- Fulton County Fire Prevention Division
- Appeal window
- 3 business days to open burning board
- Violation
- Misdemeanor, § 30-36
Summary
Backyard campfires and barbecues in unincorporated Fulton County need no permit and no fee: Code § 30-42(a) requires authorization for any open fire, but subsection (4) exempts fires kindled for recreational purposes or cooking food for immediate consumption. Bonfires are a different category and do need a Fire Prevention Division permit plus 50-foot clearance from any structure.
(a)No person shall kindle or maintain any fire or authorize any such fire to be kindled or maintained without a permit or other proper authorization....(4)Recreational/cooking fires: no permit/no fee. This shall be allowed for recreational purposes or cooking food for immediate human consumption, e.g., campfires and barbecues....(8)Bonfires: permit required. No person shall kindle or maintain any bonfire or authorize any such fire to be kindled or maintained on any private or public land unless the location is not less than 50 feet from any structure and adequate provision is made to prevent fire from spreading within 50 feet of any structure, or the fire is contained in an approved wasteburner located not less than 15 feet from any structure.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 57).
Full Breakdown
Fulton County Fire Code's open burning article (Code §§ 30-36--30-45) treats a recreational campfire or grill fire differently from every other open flame in unincorporated Fulton County. Section 30-42(a) starts from a default ban: no one may kindle or maintain a fire without a permit or other proper authorization. , campfires and barbecues,' with no permit and no fee. Leaf burning (1), agricultural fires (2), burning over forest land (3) and small contractor fires kept under 40 percent smoke opacity (7) get the same no-permit treatment; only bonfires (8), land-clearing pit fires (10) and firefighter training burns (5) require a permit from the Fulton County Fire Prevention Division.
A bonfire specifically must sit at least 50 feet from any structure, or be contained in an approved wasteburner at least 15 feet away, and must be constantly attended by someone with a garden hose or extinguisher on hand; only paper, cardboard or kindling may start it, never flammable liquids. The fire marshal and Fulton County Fire Department personnel have standing authority under § 30-37 to summarily extinguish any open burning that violates the article or threatens life and property, and a permit holder whose permit is revoked can appeal to the county's board of open burning appeals within three business days under § 30-38, though the fire must stop the moment the fire marshal revokes it.
The board, created by § 30-39, includes the deputy chief of operations for the Fulton County Fire Department, the director of Atlanta/Fulton County Emergency Management Services, and the deputy director of the county's Environmental Health Division, and must rule within two business days of an appeal.
Violations & Fines
Anyone who kindles a fire that needs a permit under § 30-42 without getting one, or who violates any other requirement of the open burning article, is guilty of a misdemeanor under § 30-36, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense. The fire marshal can summarily extinguish a noncompliant fire on the spot under § 30-37, and a revoked permit ends the burn immediately regardless of any pending appeal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a backyard fire pit or grill in unincorporated Fulton County?
What if I want a bigger bonfire instead of a small fire pit?
Does this rule cover Atlanta or Sandy Springs backyards?
What happens if the fire marshal shows up at my fire?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fulton County
How Fulton County compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·Compare Fulton County to another location·View the Georgia fire regulations overview
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