LaFayette, GA – Beginning October 1, Walker County residents will no longer need to contact Georgia Forestry to obtain a permit to burn small piles of natural vegetation and yard debris. A new law eliminates the notification requirement before burning things like twigs and small tree limbs, leaves, brush and grass clippings.

Changes to the law take effect in many parts of the state on July 1. However, implementation will be delayed locally because Walker County is one of 54 northern Georgia counties under the Environmental Protection Division summer burn ban from May 1 to September 30.

The law now puts the public in full charge of their actions and places the following requirements on those who burn:

• Space – 25 feet between fire and woodlands
• Space – 50 feet between fire and structures
• Time – sunrise to sunset
• Attendance – person responsible on site until fire is extinguished
• Reasonable precautions – tools or measures in place to prevent escaped fire

Georgia Forestry may charge a fee for suppression if these five safety requirements are not followed and wildfire results.

It remains illegal to burn household garbage and man-made materials such as tires, shingles, plastics and lumber year round.