Houston County, GA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Houston County, GA, 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
- Seasonal ban
- May 1 - September 30, open burning barred
- Permit required
- State forestry permit for most burns (§ 32-22)
- Permitted burn hours
- 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- 1st offense penalty
- Written warning, fire extinguished
- Escalating fines
- $100 to $15,000 for repeat offenses
- Statewide bans
- No tires, garbage, or over 40% smoke opacity
Summary
Houston County bans open burning outright from May 1 through September 30 each year, with narrow carve-outs for farming, prescribed forestry burns, firefighter training, recreational and cooking fires, and certain flame-making equipment. Outside that window, the state forestry commission still requires a permit for nearly all outdoor burning, and county rules add a 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. burn window plus escalating fines for illegal fires.
(3)No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit open burning from May 1st to September 30th of each year except as follows: Carrying out recognized agricultural procedures necessary for production or harvesting of crops, the "prescribed burning" of any forest land by the owner's or the owner's designee, for recreational purposes or cooking food for immediate human consumption, fires set for purposes of training fire-fighting personnel when authorized by the appropriate governmental entity, operation of devices using open flames such as tar kettles, blow torches, welding torches, portable heaters and other flame-making equipment, disposal of all packaging materials previously containing explosives, in accordance with U.S. Department of Labor Safety Regulations.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 32, Article II of the Code adopts Georgia's open-burning framework for unincorporated Houston County. daily and are good for a 24-hour period under section 32-21. Section 32-23(3) then layers a hard seasonal ban on top of the permit system: "No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit open burning from May 1st to September 30th of each year," except for specific exempted activities such as agricultural crop procedures, prescribed forestry burns, recreational or cooking fires, authorized firefighter training, and operation of flame-making equipment like tar kettles and blow torches.
Section 32-24 layers on statewide EPD prohibitions that apply year-round regardless of season: burning tires or synthetic material, burning garbage, and any open burn exceeding 40 percent smoke opacity. , a garden hose must be kept in place and operable at all times, and the applicant must call the county fire department with the fire's size, address and forestry permit number before burning. 00 at a judge's discretion for any further offense.
Violations & Fines
Burning outside a valid state forestry permit, burning during the May 1 to September 30 seasonal ban without an exemption, or burning processed wood products at all violates Chapter 32. If the fire department responds to an illegal burn, section 32-26(f) imposes a written warning for a first offense, a $100.00 fine for a second, $200.00 for a third, and up to $15,000.00 at the judge's discretion for later offenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I legally burn debris outdoors in Houston County during the summer?
Do I need a permit to burn outside the seasonal ban?
What happens if the fire department catches an illegal burn?
Are there hour restrictions even when burning is allowed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Houston County
How Houston County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Houston County to another location·View the Georgia fire regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.