ATLANTA — Georgia's burn ban for the summer season has lifted, the state Forestry Commission said Friday, and new rules are in place to make it easier to burn small piles of yard waste.
The Forestry Commission said in a Facebook post that, "It's official: the (Environmental Protection Division) summer burn ban has been lifted!"
The commission also pointed to new rules that no longer require people to notify the Georgia Forestry Commission if they are burning "small, hand-piled piles of natural debris."
While you don't have to notify the Forest Commission any longer to conduct a small burn, the agency notes that local burning ordinances remain in force and "may be more restrictive than state law."
In place of notifying the GFC, those conducting a burn are asked to follow "SSTAR" guidelines:
- S - Space, 25+ feet from fire or woodlands
- S - Space, 50+ feet from structures
- T - Time, during daylight hours
- A - Attendance, remain with the burn pile until the fire is out or you extinguish it
- R - Reasonable precautions, such as tools to prevent fire escape and weather awareness
Permits are still required for larger burns.
"Call your local office to obtain a burn permit prior to burning machine-piled natural vegetation or for prescribed burns," a Forestry Commission graphic said.