Spring Hill, TN Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Section 7-601(A) bars any person from causing, suffering, allowing or permitting open burning within the entire city limits, then lists three exceptions: a commercial barbeque fireplace, fires set by or at the direction of responsible fire control persons for training or for preventing, eliminating or reducing fire hazards, and fires set at the direction of law enforcement agencies or courts to destroy seized controlled substances and legend drugs. Under subsection (B), routine demolition of structures by supervised open burning does not count as fire training or hazard elimination. A structure can be burned down only where a unilateral state or local building codes order calls for demolition by open burning because of structural failure and there is no other safe way. Subsection (C) allows warming barrels at building construction sites during cold weather, as long as the barrel is at least 25 feet from a structure or combustible material.

Section 7-201 defines open burning as the burning of any matter under such conditions that products of combustion are emitted directly into the open atmosphere without passing directly through a stack. Section 7-602 adds that homeowners are not allowed to burn combustible materials, residential waste or construction debris, and that burning yard debris such as grass clippings and leaves is prohibited. Section 7-502 bars burning roofing, waste oil or fuel, plastics, oil-based products, paints and insulation.

Section 7-603 holds the permit lane. After a natural disaster the Fire Marshal or Fire Chief can authorize open burning of class A wood materials, brush and yard debris. Owners of more than five acres zoned other than residential can conduct property maintenance burns twice annually by permit, between October 1 and May 30 and from sunrise to sunset. The brush pile must sit a minimum of 500 feet from a residential neighborhood unless the Fire Marshal or Fire Chief approves a reduced distance, must hold only material collected on that property, and cannot be lit when winds exceed ten miles per hour. Owners must obey any published State of Tennessee, county-wide or city declared burn ban and stay on site with extinguishing equipment until the fire is out and no longer smoldering. Section 7-504 permits air curtain destructors once a burn permit is obtained from the Fire Department.