Johns Creek, GA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Johns Creek Code Chapter 21 bars open burning citywide without a special Fire Marshal permit, except cooking food for immediate consumption. The Johns Creek Fire Department issues a pit burn permit for land clearing: per the city's Fire FAQs, pit fires are the only type permitted for land clearing, no aboveground fires are allowed, pit fires must be at least 300 feet from any structure or public road, and only wood wastes consisting of trees, logs, brush and stumps may be burned. Burning household garbage, grass clippings, or construction debris is prohibited. Layered over the city rule is Georgia's annual summer open burning ban administered by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, which prohibits most outdoor burning from May 1 through September 30 in metro-Atlanta counties (including Fulton) to reduce ground-level ozone under federal clean-air requirements. Recreational fires and barbecues remain allowed during the ban. Outside the ban window, residents must still notify the Georgia Forestry Commission and obtain a burn permit before burning hand-piled natural vegetation.