Collierville, TN Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Section 96.03 of the Collierville Code of Ordinances, part of the Town Air Pollution Control Code, opens with a flat ban. Subsection (A) says no person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit open burning of refuse, garbage, trade waste, trees, limbs, brush or materials from salvage operations. Yard debris such as limbs and brush is therefore covered by name.

Subsection (B) lists burning that can be conducted without a permit, subject to Fire Department approval and provided no public nuisance is or will be created. The listed categories are fires used for the cooking of food or for ceremonial or recreational purposes, including barbeques and outdoor fireplaces; fires set for the training and instruction of firefighters or for research in fire protection or prevention; and smokeless flares or safety flares for the combustion of waste gases.

Subsection (C) creates a case-by-case exception to the ban in (A), and every one of four conditions must be met. First, a request must be filed with the Health Officer stating why no method except open burning can be employed, the amount and kind of material, the exact location and the dates. Second, the Health Officer must approve. Third, permission must be secured from the Fire Department in the jurisdiction involved. Fourth, the burning must be done between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. or as authorized by the Health Officer. Under subsection (D), the exemption does not relieve the person responsible from the consequences of any damages, injuries or claims resulting from the burning.

The chapter's enforcement provision, § 96.05, directs the Health Officer to issue a notice to correct or a citation to cease the violation, specifying a reasonable time to rectify it. If the violation continues, the Health Officer can order the violator to cease or suspend operation or initiate proceedings to prosecute, and must seek injunctive relief in a court of competent jurisdiction when a cease order is ignored.