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Burn Permits
Residential Open Burning Is Not Allowed Inside the Municipal Limits of Southern Pines.
Permits for land clearing operation inside the Municipal Limits may be issued under certain circumstances and only if approved by the Fire Chief.
For Additional Information
Trash, Recycling & Yard Debris - Town of Southern Pines
Town Ordinance 95.005 OPEN BURNING
Before filling out an open burning permit application, please familiarize yourself with these Air Quality regulations related to outdoor burning.
North Carolina Environmental Quality - Open Burning
Instructions for The Permittee
Issuance of a permit does NOT relieve the permittee of:
His/Her responsibility for complying with all air pollution laws, regulations and ordinances (such as the North Carolina "Control and Prohibition of Open Burning" Regulations as codified in 15 NCAC 2D.1900 which prohibits the open burning of some materials).
1. His/Her responsibility for complying with all other State and Federal forest fire laws (such as notifying adjacent landowners, keeping a competent watch over the fire, etc.)
2. His/Her responsibility for any damage the fires may cause to other parties or their property. Good judgment should be used when burning even though a permit has been obtained.
Note: The proper time to burn is: (1) following a rain when the wind is calm; (2) after grasses are green and hardwood leaves are mature.
NOTE: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL ANYTHING OTHER THAN PLANT GROWTH BE BURNED (See Regulation 15A NCAC 2D.1900 "Open Burning" for details)
Permissible Residential Burning
Open burning of leaves, tree branches or yard trimmings originating on the premises of private residences and burned on those premises in areas where no public pickup is available and such burning is done between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and shall not create a nuisance.
Permissible Land Clearing
Open burning for land clearing or right-of-way maintenance is permissible provided that: (1) prevailing winds are away from built-up areas; (2) the location of the burn is at least 500 feet from any occupied structure; (3) the location of the burn is at least 250 feet from the edge of a roadway if the prevailing wind is toward the roadway; (4) only kerosene distillate or diesel fuel is used to start the fire; (5) burning shall commence between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and no additional material is added other than during those hours.
Burning shall only be done when the weather does not create unsafe burning conditions.
Before burning, you are required to call the Southern Pines Fire Department at 910-692-2720 and notify the officer in charge that you are conducting a controlled burn.
An adult must be present in attendance at all times, so as to prevent the spread of fire or the creation of hazardous conditions.
All fires must be conducted on the premises of the owner or lessee, provided, however, that the term “premises” does not include the area in the right-of-way of any street or road.
Adequate water supplies capable of controlling and extinguishing the fire shall be provided at the burning site.