Outdoor burning rules in Hamilton County, TN — also called the burn ban, open burning, or fire restriction ordinance — set when you can burn yard waste, debris, or run a recreational fire.
Open burning of yard brush is banned county-wide from May 1 through Sept. 30. During the October–April season you need a permit from the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Air Pollution Control Bureau. County permits are $15; city permits $75.
The APCB regulates open burning for the whole county. Legal burning is limited to the months of October through April, and only for clean, raw, untreated wood and natural vegetation. Burn piles cannot exceed 8 feet by 8 feet by 8 feet, and material is limited to 12 inches in diameter. Paper, cardboard, plywood, treated or painted wood, plastics, tires, roofing, and household garbage may never be burned. A permit costs $15 in unincorporated county areas and $75 inside cities such as Chattanooga. A separate Tennessee Division of Forestry permit is required Oct. 15–Apr. 30 for burning within 500 feet of woodland.
Non-compliance with the burn conditions could result in civil penalties up to $25,000 per day.
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