Effingham County, GA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Article IV of Chapter 36 protects life, safety, health and property while coordinating with the Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) and Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD). Sec. 36-44 suspends all open burning during a red flag warning, fire danger advisory, burn ban, the EPD Summer Open Burning Ban, sustained winds above 10 mph, relative humidity below 30 percent, fog or an inversion that traps smoke, within 24 hours of a passing cold front, or any other condition the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ, the fire chief or designee) calls hazardous.

Sec. 36-46 separately bans burning prohibited materials (household garbage, plastics, tires, treated wood and other non-vegetative debris), burning materials trucked in from off-site, burning without required state authorization, and burning as a stand-in for lawful trash disposal. Sec. 36-50.2 gives the county authority to declare a burn ban or suspension outright; once declared, every open fire in the unincorporated area must go out until the ban lifts, and the AHJ can order immediate extinguishment for public safety. Enforcement runs through the fire chief, code enforcement and the sheriff's office.

Sec. 36-50.3 sets a civil fine of $250 to $1,000 per violation, with each day of continued violation counted as a separate offense, and lets the county bill a violator for suppression, emergency-response and property-damage costs. A person cited under this article can appeal to the county manager within ten days under Sec. 36-50.4; the manager's decision is final.