Can I Burn Brush and Yard Debris in Randolph County, NC?

First Question: Are You Inside Town Limits?

Where you live decides whose rules come first. The county Fire Marshal's Office says permits to burn brush outside town limits come from the NC Forest Service. If you live inside a town, the county asks you to check with that town, since towns can set their own burning rules.

Two state agencies set rules everywhere: the NC Division of Air Quality (DAQ) decides what can be burned and when, and the NC Forest Service handles permits and burn bans.

Inside Asheboro City Limits: Burning Yard Waste Isn't Allowed

The city's fire inspections office is direct about it. Because the city picks up leaves, branches and other plant growth, it issues no burning permits, and burning those materials is against the law. DAQ's rules agree, since yard waste can't be burned where public pickup is available.

Here is what the city's Environmental Services page offers instead:

• Branches and shrub trimmings: stack them neatly about two feet from the edge of the road, not in the road, a ditch or on the sidewalk. Pickup is usually the day after your garbage or recycling day.
• Size limits: pieces less than five feet long and less than four inches across. The first two truck scoops that meet those limits are free, and each scoop after that is $15 on your water bill.
• Leaves: rake them loose to the street, apart from brush and trash, and the city's vacuum trucks take them for free. Bagged leaves are not picked up.

Debris outside those limits, or piled in the wrong spot, costs $24 per scoop. Fees change, so check the city's page before you pile anything at the curb.

Outside Town Limits: What the State Allows

DAQ's rule of thumb is simple: if it doesn't grow, don't burn it. At a home, you can burn yard waste only when all of these are true:

• It's natural vegetation from your own yard, such as leaves, limbs, brush and firewood. Never trash, lumber, treated or painted wood, cardboard, plastic, shingles or tires.
• You burn it where it grew. Brush from a neighbor's yard or another property can't be brought in and burned.
• No public pickup serves you. A private company that charges for pickup doesn't count.
• It's between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Nothing new goes on the pile after 6 p.m.
• The air-quality forecast is Code Green or Code Yellow. Burning is not allowed on Code Orange, Red or Purple days. Check the forecast at airquality.climate.ncsu.edu the morning you plan to burn.
• Local rules allow it, and no burn ban is in place.

For home yard waste, DAQ says being close to a neighbor isn't a problem by itself. Distance from a house does matter for the Forest Service permit, below. Breaking the air-quality rules can bring fines of up to $25,000 per day.

Do I Need a Burn Permit?

Usually, yes. State law requires a permit between midnight and 4 p.m. for any fire in woodland the NC Forest Service protects, or within 500 feet of it. The Forest Service's permit FAQ says that land includes everything except federal land and land inside town limits. Its short version: you need a permit for any open burn more than 100 feet from an occupied dwelling.

The permit is free, and the Forest Service must give one to anyone who asks. It is a notice that you plan to burn, not approval to burn in any conditions. You can get one:

• Online at ncforestservice.gov/burnpermits. You need an email address, because the permit is emailed to you, and you can choose a range of dates.
• In person at the NC Forest Service county office.
• From a local burn permit agent.

The Forest Service can cancel permits when fire danger gets too high. Don't burn when it's dry, warm or windy. Keep the pile small and in a cleared area, keep water, a shovel, a rake and a phone close, and stay with the fire until it's completely out and cold to the touch.

Burn Bans Override Every Permit

When fire danger is high, the NC Commissioner of Agriculture can ban all open burning, permit or not. On March 28, 2026, the NC Forest Service banned open burning in all 100 counties and canceled every permit. The ban wasn't lifted for Randolph County until May 8. Breaking a ban brings a $100 fine plus $183 in court costs, and whoever set the fire may have to pay the cost of putting it out.

A state ban doesn't cover fires within 100 feet of an occupied home. Local government controls that zone, and a county fire marshal can issue a ban of its own. Before you burn, check with the NC Forest Service for a state ban and with the county Fire Marshal's Office or your town for a local one.

Clearing Land? Stricter Rules Apply

Debris from clearing land to build on falls under DAQ's stricter land-clearing rules. Piles must be at least 500 feet from occupied buildings, and 250 feet from a public road when the wind blows toward it. Burning closer than 500 feet requires signed waivers from everyone living within that distance, presented first to DAQ's regional office. The debris generally has to be burned where it was cleared, only kerosene or diesel may be used to start it, and tires are never allowed.

Few home lots have 500 feet of room in every direction. On our land clearing jobs, we talk through what happens to the wood before we start: it can be cut up, chipped, hauled off or left for you.

Easier Ways to Get Rid of Brush

Even where burning is legal, DAQ encourages grinding brush into wood chips when possible, because smoke can cause serious health problems. Your options:

• Chip it. Chips can be spread as mulch.
• Use city pickup if you live inside Asheboro, within the size limits above.
• Haul it to a landfill. The county's convenience sites don't list yard waste among the items they take. The county's website links to the Great Oak Landfill, run by Waste Management, and to Liberty Waste Solutions. Both list yard waste or brush among the materials they accept. Call ahead about fees and hours.
• Keep firewood local. The NC Forest Service's rule of thumb is to burn firewood within 50 miles of where it was cut, so pests like the emerald ash borer don't spread.
• Make cleanup part of the job. When we handle tree removal or land clearing, the wood and brush can be chipped, hauled off or left for you.

Help With Brush From Tree Work

If you have trees coming down or land to clear in Asheboro or anywhere in Randolph County, ask about the brush when we look at the job for your free estimate. You get the plan and price in writing before planned work starts. Call or text our main phone at (336) 523-8278 or our alternate phone at (336) 479-4339. For burning questions, your NC Forest Service county ranger and your town or county fire marshal have the final word.