The burning of leaves, brush, and yard trimmings is permitted on burning days between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., however the burning of household trash, building materials, asphaltic materials, card board, processed wood, and papers is PROHIBITED at any time. Burning of all material is prohibited where there is public pickup for yard waste. Burning is not allowed on days when the Agency's air quality forecast area has been forecasted by the Division of Air Quality to be in an Air Quality Action Day Code“Orange”or above during the time period covered by that forecast; or when open burning has been banned due to a North Carolina Forest Service or a Buncombe County Fire Marshal fire hazard safety concern. If you are burning within 500 feet of forestlands a North Carolina Forest Service permit may be required.
A permit is no longer required by this Agency for the open burning of machine piled brush, that is the result of land clearing. However, all land clearing open burning must comply with the regulations. The piles to be burned must be piled to promote good combustion, therefore no stumps or logs over 12 inches in diameter and no dirt shall be included in the pile. The piles shall be 500 feet from the nearest occupied structure. Exceptions can be made in advance with documentation and approval. Burning must be done on a burning day and between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., with no material added to the fire after 6:00 p.m. It is preferable to burn early during the approved time so that the burning will be complete prior to evening inversions that inhibit smoke dispersion. To operate a controlled air incinerator aka air curtain burner or pit burner, please contact this office for more information including setback requirements, opacity limits, and recordkeeping requirements as applicable.
ON NO OCCASION SHOULD CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, PROCESSED WOODS, ASPHALTIC MATERIALS, TIRES, PLASTIC, CARDBOARD, OR PAPER BE BURNED.
Civil penalties will be assessed for violations.
Fire Training. Chapter 4.1903(b)(11) of AB Air Quality Code allows open burning for instructing and training of firefighting personnel that does not qualify for coverage under
Chapter 4.1903(b)(9) and (10). Burning is permissible only as a fire training exercise with the fire department present during the burning. Download and send in the form below to provide
AB Air Quality with prior notification of open burning for the training of firefighting personnel. The Air Quality Director is required to consider the distance from the location of the fire training to residential, commercial, or institutional buildings or properties in granting permission. Fire training exercises conducted under the supervision of certain state agencies including the North Carolina Fire College do not require approval from the Air Quality Director. An application for a demolition permit and an asbestos survey associated with fire training are always required to be submitted to this office for any structures involved with fire training.
Additional information may be obtained at the Agency office or by calling (828) 250-6777. A hotline detailing burning days may be accessed by calling (828) 250-6767.