North Charleston, SC Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in North Charleston, SC, 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
- Recreational fire clearance
- 25 feet from structures
- Cooking-fire clearance
- 3 feet from combustibles
- Fire pit size cap
- 3 ft diameter, 2 ft high
- Extinguisher required
- Min. 4-A rated, on site
- Enforcement
- Fire Dept., Police, fire code officials
- General penalty
- Up to $500 fine / 30 days (§ 1-10)
Summary
North Charleston bans open burning citywide except for narrow categories listed in Code of Ordinances § 8-5(c), such as attended cooking or recreational fires kept a set distance from structures. Backyard fire pits must sit at least twenty-five feet from any structure or combustible material and be watched until out. The fire department, police and fire code officials can order any fire extinguished.
(a)"Open burning" means the intentional burning of materials wherein products of combustion are emitted directly into the ambient air without passing through a stack or chimney from an enclosed chamber...(b)A person shall not kindle, maintain, or authorize to be kindled or maintained any open burning unless allowed below.(c)Open burning is prohibited except as provided as follows:...(2)Fires set for recreational purposes if:a.Contained within a device designed for the purpose of containing recreational fires to include: portable fire places, chimeras, grills, woodstoves, etc.;b.Kept twenty-five (25) feet from any structure or combustible material;c.If the recreational fire is constantly attended until extinguished; and d.A minimum of one (1) portable fire extinguisher with a minimum 4-A rating or other approved on-site fire-extinguishing equipment, such as dirt, sand, water barrel, garden hose, shall be available for immediate utilization...(d)The fire department, police department, and fire code officials are authorized to order the extinguishment of any fire that violates the provisions of this ordinance or creates a public nuisance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 75).
Full Breakdown
Section 8-5(a) defines "open burning" as the intentional burning of materials where combustion products go straight into the outside air rather than through a stack or chimney from an enclosed chamber. Subsection (b) then bars a person from kindling, maintaining or authorizing any open burning unless it falls within one of the exceptions in subsection (c). Cooking fires for human consumption are allowed only inside a device built for cooking over open flame, kept out from under a residence or its eaves, kept three feet from combustible material, constantly attended, and backed by a portable fire extinguisher rated at least 4-A or comparable equipment such as a hose or water barrel.
Recreational fires, the backyard fire pit or chiminea case most residents ask about, must be contained in a device built for that purpose, kept twenty-five feet from any structure or combustible material, constantly attended until out, and likewise backed by a 4-A extinguisher or equivalent. A narrower pit exception allows a cooking fire pit up to three feet in diameter and two feet high if kept twenty-five feet from structures, with the same extinguisher requirement. Fires for backfiring an existing fire, firefighter training, heating or construction work using wood, propane or similar fuel in a device built for that use, and hurricane or disaster debris removal authorized by the responsible fire agency are also exempted.
Subsection (d) gives the fire department, police department and fire code officials authority to order any fire extinguished if it violates the ordinance or becomes a public nuisance.
Violations & Fines
Kindling or maintaining an open burn outside these exceptions is enforceable under Chapter 8, and the fire department, police department or a fire code official may order the fire extinguished on the spot regardless of whether a citation follows. Because Chapter 8 adopts the International Fire Code under § 8-16, an illegal burn can also be charged as a fire code violation, carrying the general municipal penalty in § 1-10: up to a $500 fine, up to thirty days in jail, or both, with each day treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a backyard fire pit in North Charleston?
Is it legal to burn yard debris or trash in North Charleston?
Who can order a fire put out in North Charleston?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in North Charleston
How North Charleston compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare North Charleston to another location·View the South Carolina fire regulations overview
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Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Charleston County handle outdoor burning.