A pile of leaves is only the first question.

Ordinary yard debris and land clearing follow different rules.

Hand-piled leaves and limbs grown on the property: GFC says these do not require its state permit or notification. Local approval can still be required, and seasonal restrictions still apply.

GFC’s five precautions for that hand-piled yard debris include at least 25 feet from woodland and 50 feet from structures, burning only between sunrise and sunset, a responsible person staying until the fire is extinguished, and equipment and precautions to prevent escape. Ask the fire department about any stricter requirement for your site.

Machine-cleared piles, acreage, agricultural or forestry work, and storm debris: contact GFC about the correct category and requirements. The ordinary hand-pile exemption does not authorize land-clearing disposal.

Household trash, plastic, lumber, shingles and tires cannot be disposed of by open burning. Putting them in a burn barrel does not make it lawful. Recreational or cooking fires have their own category; a debris-disposal pile does not become a campfire by changing its name.

The end of summer does not remove every restriction.

Seasonal reference: the October–April rules apply during this part of the calendar. This calendar check does not read daily restrictions or authorize a burn.

May 1–September 30

Haralson, Carroll and Douglas are on Georgia EPD’s summer-ban list. The ban restricts ordinary yard-debris and land-clearing burns. Identified exceptions, including cooking and recreational fires, remain subject to local conditions and fire restrictions.

October 1–April 30

Carroll and Douglas have additional restrictions. EPD prohibits open-burning categories for storm debris, weed/pest material, and ordinary land-clearing, construction and right-of-way debris in its 27-county group. Air-curtain-destructor operations follow a separate category and permitting process. A local vegetation permit does not remove these state limits.

Haralson is outside that 27-county winter group. That difference does not waive its local requirements, the relevant burn category or weather-related restrictions.

Keep the local rule with the address.

Before setting aside a day

1. Confirm the jurisdiction for the actual property address.
2. Describe the material, whether machinery cleared it, and the purpose of the burn. Ask GFC or the fire department to identify the category.
3. Check the state seasonal limits, local approval, daily restrictions and weather. A date on the calendar is not clearance.
4. If burning is not appropriate, ask about chipping, mulching, composting or an approved receiving site. Confirm that facility’s material and load rules.

GFC’s new online system, announced October 1, 2026, operates from 6 a.m.–7 p.m. and issues applicable permits for the current day. Those are system hours, not a new authorization to burn hand piles before sunrise or after sunset. Start at GFC’s current permit guidance.

Some older local pages repeat superseded permit wording or conflicting seasonal text. This guide uses current GFC/EPD guidance for state rules and directs local approval questions to the responsible fire department. It is an orientation to official sources, not a burn permit.