Outdoor burning rules in Chatham 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.
Chatham County Code Sec. 21-306 prohibits open burning within one mile of any city boundary or platted residential subdivision. Residents inside that zone may still burn only their own leaves, storm debris, or recreational and cooking fires. Chatham is NOT among Georgia's 54-county May-September summer burn ban counties.
Open burning means any outdoor fire from which the products of combustion are emitted directly into the open air without passing through a stack, chimney or duct (Sec. 21-301). Section 21-306(2) states no one shall cause, suffer or allow open burning within one mile of the boundary of any municipal corporation nor any residential subdivision platted by the County or a municipality. Residents in that zone may burn only their own leaves, weed/pest/disease abatement, storm debris, recreational or cooking fires, and small fire pits. Georgia no longer requires a Forestry Commission permit for hand-piled leaves and limbs, but such fires must stay 25 feet from woods, 50 feet from structures, be attended, and burn only sunrise to sunset.
Illegal open burning is a Code offense; on conviction, a fine up to $500 and/or up to 30 days, each day a separate offense (Sec. 21-309). The Georgia Forestry Commission or any public-safety official may shut down a hazardous burn.
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