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Open Burning & Recreational Fires

Open Burning (PERMIT REQUIRED)

 The burning of materials wherein products of combustion are emitted directly into the ambient air without passing through a stack or chimney from an enclosed chamber.  For the purpose of this definition, a chamber shall be regarded as enclosed when, during the time combustion occurs, only apertures, ducts, stacks, flues or chimneys necessary to provide combustion air and permit the escape of exhaust gas are open. 

Open burning does not include road flares, smudge pots and similar devices associated with safety or occupational uses typically considered open flames or recreational fires. 

  1. Permit required: A permit shall be obtained from the Greenwood Fire Department prior to open burning. Once a permit has been issued the initial burning will only be allowed between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.; no combustible material may be added to the fire between 3:00 p.m. of one day and 9:00 a.m. the following day unless approved by the Greenwood Fire Department.  Please call the Fire Marshal at (864) 942-8453 for instructions on how to obtain a permit.
  2. Permitted items:
    • Detached small tree branches, brush, or yard trimmings originating on the premises of private residences and burned on those premises
    • Open burning in connection with the preparation of food for immediate consumption
  3. Location: The location for open burning shall not be less than 50 feet from any structure, and provisions shall be made to prevent the fire from spreading to within 50 feet of any structure.

       Exceptions:

  • Fire in approved containers that are not less than 15’ from the structure
  • The minimum required distance from a structure shall be 25’ where the pile is maintained 3’ or less in diameter and 2’ or less in height

Open burning shall be prohibited when atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make such fires hazardous (high winds 10+ mph, severe drought conditions, Red Flag alerts, etc.).

Items not permitted for open burning include, but are not limited to:

  • Leaves
  • Household garbage and trash
  • Paper
  • Motor and waste heating oils
  • Roofing materials such as shingles and tar
  • Tires and other rubber products
  • Building materials
  • Plastics
  • Paints
  • Household cleaners
  • Farm chemicals
  • Electrical wire
  • Insulation and duct work

Open burning in areas other than predominantly residential for the purpose of land clearing or right-of-way maintenance. This will be exempt only if the following minimum conditions are followed:

  • The location of the burning must be a sufficient distance but not less than one-thousand (1000) feet from public roadways and all residential, commercial, and industrial sites not a part of the contiguous property on which the burning is conducted;
  • Winds during the time of the burning must be away from any area in which the ambient air may be significantly affected by smoke from the burning if that area contains a public roadway or a residential, commercial, or industrial site;
  • The material to be burned must have been generated onsite and not moved to the site from another location;
  • The amount of dirt on the material being burned must be minimized;
  • No heavy oils, aliphatic materials, items containing natural or synthetic rubber, or any materials other than plant growth may be burned;
  • The initial burning must be started only between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.; no combustible material may be added to the fire between 3:00 p.m. of one day and 9:00 a.m. the following day;
  • No more than two (2) piles thirty (30) feet by thirty (30) feet or equivalent may be burned within a six (6)-acre area at one time; and
  • In the case of land clearing, all salvageable timber and pulpwood must be removed.
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