Forsyth County, NC Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
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.
Key Facts
- Burning ban
- Open burning of solid waste strictly prohibited (Sec. 19-10(b))
- No exception written in
- Section carries no seasonal or permit carve-out
- Related ban
- Open dumps also prohibited (Sec. 19-11)
- Criminal penalty
- Up to $500 fine / 30 days (Sec. 19-3(a))
- Civil penalty
- Up to $500 per day (Sec. 19-3(b))
- Enforcement
- County manager; injunction/abatement available (Sec. 19-2(b))
Summary
Forsyth County Code Sec. 19-10(b) strictly prohibits open burning of solid waste or recovered material anywhere in the county's solid waste program, with no seasonal or permit exception written into the section. The same chapter separately bans dumping that waste in an open dump under Sec. 19-9(f) and Sec. 19-11, and backs both bans with the same misdemeanor and civil penalties.
(a)Additional regulations pertaining to the management of solid waste and recovered material other than set forth in this chapter may be promulgated pursuant to this chapter by the board of county commissioners.(b)Open burning of solid waste or recovered material is strictly prohibited.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 68).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 19-10 sits inside Chapter 19's general provisions. Subsection (a) lets the board of county commissioners promulgate additional solid-waste regulations beyond what the chapter already sets out. Subsection (b) is the operative rule for burning: open burning of solid waste or recovered material is strictly prohibited, full stop, with no carve-out for a burn barrel, a permitted burn day, or agricultural waste. That single sentence covers garbage, refuse, and recovered material as those terms are defined in Sec. 19-1, and it sits alongside two related bans: Sec.
19-9(f) makes it unlawful to place litter or any waste matter on a street or on property unless it goes into an authorized, lawfully designated container for pickup, and Sec. 19-11 separately prohibits any open dump, deposit, or unsanitary accumulation of waste matter and requires whoever operates or controls an open-dump site to close it under North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality requirements. Sec. S. 153A-123, on top of ordinary citations. Sec. S. 00, with each day a violation continues treated as its own separate offense under either track.
Violations & Fines
Burning solid waste or recovered material in the open violates Sec. 19-10(b) and exposes the responsible party to Sec. 19-3's two-track penalty: a misdemeanor charge carrying up to a $500.00 fine or 30 days in jail, or a civil penalty up to $500.00, with every day the violation continues, such as an unextinguished burn pile, counted as a new offense. The county manager can also pursue an injunction or abatement order under Sec. 19-2(b).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn yard debris or trash in unincorporated Forsyth County?
Is there a permit to legally burn waste in Forsyth County?
What's the penalty for illegal open burning in Forsyth County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Forsyth County
How Forsyth County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Forsyth County to another location·View the North Carolina fire regulations overview
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