The summer ban on outdoor burning in 54 northern Georgia counties will be lifted on Tuesday, October 1, 2024. The annual restrictions are imposed by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division from May 1 through the end of September to protect air quality from emissions that may increase ground-level ozone during the hot summer months. The 54 counties whose burn bans will be lifted on October 1 are Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Bibb, Butts, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Columbia, Coweta, Crawford, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Gordon, Gwinnett, Hall, Haralson, Heard, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Lumpkin, Madison, Meriwether, Monroe, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Paulding, Peach, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Putnam, Richmond, Rockdale, Spalding, Troup, Twiggs, Upson, Walker and Walton. “The fall months offer better air quality for burning,” said Georgia Forestry Commission Director and State Forester John Sabo. “Incoming hurricane-related weather will no doubt bring down new debris. Anyone wishing to use fire outside must be keenly aware of local conditions and fire safety.” GFC Forest Protection Chief Thomas Barrett echoed the need for safety. “The leading cause of wildfire in Georgia is debris burning that gets out of control. Burners are responsible for their own fires, and while a permit is no longer required for hand-piled natural debris burns, there must be proof that safety precautions were taken in advance, if a wildfire does result.” The safety precautions mandated by law are: set spacing distances between fires and woodlands and structures, burn times from sunrise to sunset, burner attendance at the fire, and reasonable precautions such as weather awareness and suppression tools. Full details including video tutorials in English and Spanish can be found at GaTrees.org/burn-permits-and-notifications/. Separate notification procedures are required of practitioners conducting prescribed burns. For more information about safe burning and services of the Georgia Forestry Commission, visit GaTrees.org. For more on air quality regulations, visit https://epd.georgia.gov/air-protection-branch/open-burning-rules-georgia.