Buncombe County Fire Marshal Urges Residents to Avoid Open Burning Amid Drought

Dry grasses, dead leaves, and other vegetative debris scattered across Buncombe County could easily ignite and spread quickly, the county's Fire Marshal's Office warned March 23, urging residents to postpone all open burning until conditions improve.

The advisory came as North Carolina endured an extended rainfall deficit that has driven moderate to extreme drought across many parts of the state. Locally, the county described conditions as hot, dry, and breezy, a combination that makes any open flame a heightened risk.

No formal countywide ban was imposed. The Fire Marshal's Office used the word "discouraged," stopping short of a legal prohibition, but made clear the danger is real: "Dry grasses, dead leaves, and other vegetative debris could easily ignite and spread quickly," the county release stated.

For anyone who cannot postpone a burn, county guidance requires that all fires be attended at all times with a means of extinguishment on hand, kept small and manageable, and positioned at least 25 feet from combustible vegetation and structures. Officials specifically flagged machinery and farm equipment as ignition sources that warrant extreme caution in current conditions.

Regulatory rules already in place add further limits. Burning leaves, brush, and yard trimmings is only permitted between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM on designated burn days. Burning household trash, building materials, tires, wire, shingles, furniture, cardboard, processed wood, and paper is prohibited at all times. Residents in the City of Asheville and other municipalities with public yard-waste pickup are prohibited from burning any material. Only natural vegetation may be burned, and no fires are permitted on days when the Buncombe County Air Quality Agency forecasts an Air Quality Action Day at the orange level or above.

Anyone planning to burn within 500 feet of forestlands must first obtain a permit from the North Carolina Forest Service. Those burning machine-piled brush from land clearing no longer need an Air Quality Agency permit, but piles must exclude stumps, logs over 12 inches in diameter, and dirt, and must be sited at least 500 feet from the nearest occupied structure. Burning early in the approved window is recommended to avoid evening atmospheric inversions that trap smoke close to the ground.

To confirm whether burning is allowed on any given day, call the Open Burning Hotline at 828-250-6767. The daily recording is available seven days a week.