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PICKENS COUNTY FIRE-RESCUE Shane Callahan, Fire Marshal 1266 East Church Street Jasper, GA 30143 [PHONE REDACTED] Sec34-Outdoor Burning This article is intended to promote and safeguard the public health, safety, comfort, air quality, and living conditions of the citizens of unincorporated Pickens County relative to outdoor burning. This article applies to all outdoor burning within unincorporated Pickens County. The requirements of this article are supplemental to state laws and regulations governing outdoor burning restrictions and restrictions governing the disposal of construction waste. To the extent any state law, environmental protection division rules, or other adopted codes is more stringent than the requirements contained in this article, such other law, rules, and/or code shall be controlling. 1) The Environmental Protection Division (EPD) Summer Burn Ban is in effect for Pickens County, GA from May 1 – Sept 30 each year. Sec 34.1 - Definitions: 2) Agricultural burn means burning necessary for the removal of crop residues for the production or harvesting of crops. A permit is required from the Georgia Forestry Commission. 3) Bonfire means an outdoor fire larger than a recreational fire in which only logs, or clean wood are being burned for ceremonial purposes. A permit is required from the Pickens County Fire Marshal’s Office. 4) Clean wood means natural wood which has not been painted, varnished, or coated with a similar material; has not been pressure treated with preservatives; and does not contain resins or glues as in plywood or other composite wood products. 5) Garbage means any material that includes but is not limited to plastic products, Styrofoam, fiberglass, recycling wire (burned to access meta), tires, painted/varnished wood, clothing, furniture, mattresses, boxes, papers, household food waste, any poisonous vines/plants and kudzu vines. 6) Outdoor burning (open burning) means kindling or maintaining a fire where the products of combustion are emitted directly into the ambient air without passing through a stack or a chimney. 7) Recreational fire means an outdoor fire in which only logs or clean wood are being burned where the fuel is contained in an incinerator, outdoor fireplace, barbeque grill or barbeque pit and has a total fuel are of three feet or less in diameter and two feet or less in height for pleasure, religious, ceremonial, cooking, warmth or similar purposes, and which is not used to dispose of garbage or yard waste. No permit required. 8) Yard waste means limited natural vegetation yard debris. Natural vegetation includes leaves, pine straw, and dry brush/limbs no more than six inches in diameter that have fallen or been cut from growth on one’s own property. No permit required. Sec 35 – Burning Prohibitions The prohibitions are intended to promote and safeguard the public health, safety, comfort, air quality, and living conditions of the citizens of unincorporated Pickens County. 1) Burning of petroleum-based products, such as tires, plastics, and roof shingles, which produce black smoke, is prohibited. Kristopher Stancil Commission Chairman Sloan Elrod Public Safety Director Tim Prather Fire Chief ---PAGE BREAK--- 2) Burning of garbage of any kind is prohibited. 3) When approved by the authority of jurisdiction, burning in a barrel with spark arrestor on top is allowed as a warming fire on construction sites. No treated lumber or garbage is allowed to be burned. 4) No burning on, Red Flag Day as determined by EMA, (ten miles per hour sustained or higher), low humidity of less than 35 percent, or on days when the atmospheric conditions (cloudy, overcast, or raining) would cause the smoke to remain low to the ground. 5) Burning is prohibited on the surface of county or private roads and streets. 6) The Fire Chief and/or the Fire Marshal shall be authorized to ban any or all forms of outdoor burning when atmospheric or local conditions make outdoor fires hazardous.