Roanoke County, VA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Article II of Chapter 9 prohibits open burning or use of a special incineration device for disposal of refuse generally (§ 9-8(a)), for tires, asphalt, crankcase oil or other petroleum-based materials (§ 9-8(b)), for hazardous waste (§ 9-8(c)), and for any salvage operation or commercial/industrial waste (§ 9-8(d)). Section 9-10 then carves out what is permissible: leaves, tree, yard and garden trimmings may be burned on the premises of private property if the burning is at least 300 feet from any occupied building (absent the occupants' permission) and no regular collection service is available at the adjacent street.

Household refuse follows the same 300-foot rule but bars burning animal carcasses, animal wastes, or garbage. Larger debris waste burning from property maintenance, land clearing, or road and utility construction needs a permit from the county fire marshal under § 9-11(a), requires piles to be at least 500 feet from any occupied building, and must be attended at all times with winds blowing away from any city, town or built-up area. Unlike Article III of this chapter (the Statewide Fire Prevention Code), which § 9-20 expressly excludes from the Town of Vinton, Article II's open-burning rules carry no such carve-out, so they apply the same way in Vinton as in the rest of the unincorporated county. The state air pollution control board can also halt all open burning during a declared air pollution alert under § 9-8(f).