Outdoor burning rules in Durham County, NC — also called the burn ban, open burning, or fire restriction ordinance — set when you can burn yard waste, debris, or run a recreational fire.
Open burning of trash or debris is unlawful inside Durham city limits, and the city issues no burn permits. In the unincorporated county you may burn only natural vegetation grown on your own property, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., under NC air-quality rules.
The City of Durham states it is unlawful to conduct any open burning of trash or debris inside city limits, and burning permits are not issued to city residents; instead the city collects yard waste curbside. Statewide, NC DEQ's open-burning rule (15A NCAC 02D .1900) allows burning only leaves, limbs, brush, and untreated wood grown on the property - 'If it doesn't grow, don't burn it.' Never burn trash, plastic, treated wood, or tires. Residential yard-waste burning is limited to 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. A NC Forest Service permit is required to burn within 500 feet of woodland.
Illegal open burning can bring NC DEQ air-quality penalties and, near woodland, NC Forest Service fines plus liability for suppression costs.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Backyard composting is legal in Durham and the city offers a curbside food-waste program. Compost piles must be maintained so they do not harbor rodents or p...
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Durham has no ordinance banning artificial turf in residential yards. It counts toward impervious-surface and lot-coverage limits under the UDO, and cannot b...
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Durham lies in the Neuse River and Falls Lake watersheds, where state and UDO riparian buffer rules require a 50-foot protected buffer of native vegetation a...
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Durham declares dense weeds, vines, briars and undergrowth a public nuisance when they harbor pests or sit near buildings. Overgrowth over 12 inches high mus...
See how Durham County's outdoor burning rules stack up against other locations.
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