Open burning inside the city must meet the following guidelines:

• It’s permissible to burn leaves, branches, tree limbs, twigs, lawn clippings, woody vegetation, yard trimmings, clean unpainted, uncoated wood or untreated lumber.
• A fire no more than 3 feet in diameter, and no more than 2 feet high must be at least 25 feet away from any structure.  Any larger fires  must be at least 50 feet away from any structure.
• Provisions must be made to keep the fire from spreading.
• Residents can be held responsible if a fire gets out of control.
• If your fire is in a approved fire pit with a spark arrestor, the pit must be at least 15 feet from any structure
• The fire must be attended to at all times.
• You must have a means to extinguish the fire (water hose, fire extinguisher, .etc..)
• Burning is not allowed on days with high winds, ozone days or when a burn ban has been put in place.

Please call the Kingsport Fire Marshal’s Office before you burn: 423-229-9440

What Not to Burn in Tennessee:

• Tires and other rubber products
• Vinyl siding and vinyl shingles
• Plastics and other synthetic materials
• Paper products, cardboard and newspaper
• Asphalt shingles, and other asphalt roofing materials and demolition debris
• Asbestos-containing materials
• Paints, household and agricultural chemicals
• Aerosol cans and food cans
• Building material and construction debris
• Buildings and mobile homes
• Coated wire
• Household trash
• Most vegetation not grown on site

It may be okay to burn leaves, branches, tree limbs, twigs, lawn clippings, woody vegetation, yard trimmings, clean unpainted, uncoated wood or untreated lumber. Check your local and/or other state ordinances. Improper out-door burning can lead to fines up to $25,000. To report illegal burning call TDEC at 1-888-891-TDEC This is the Law in Tennessee.

Alert Tennesseans know there are other options instead of outdoor burning:

• Recycling
• Composting

Help reduce air pollution in Tennessee by avoiding outdoor burning.