Outdoor burning rules in Forsyth 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.
Residential open burning of leaves and yard trimmings is only allowed where no yard-waste pickup is provided, so it is banned inside Winston-Salem. Where allowed, burning may start no earlier than 8:00 a.m., must be on your own property, and cannot create a nuisance.
Forsyth County Environmental Assistance & Protection permits residential open burning of leaves, tree branches, yard trimmings, logs and stumps only in areas without yard-waste pickup. Because Winston-Salem provides pickup, burning is illegal inside city limits. Where allowed, material must be generated on and burned at your residence only. Burning must start no earlier than 8:00 a.m., and no combustible material may be added between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. the next day. It must not create a nuisance (irritation, medical aggravation, visibility loss, or soot/ash on other property). No burning is allowed during a Burning Ban or Air Quality Alert.
First-time violations carry fines from $100 to $2,000; additional violations can reach up to $25,000 per violation per day. A Burning Ban supersedes all other regulations.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Forsyth County's outdoor burning rules stack up against other locations.
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