Metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta

Cobb County burn ban lifted after a few soggy days

Milton fire officials have reissued a citywide outdoor burn ban, citing poor drought conditions.
Milton fire officials have reissued a citywide outdoor burn ban, citing poor drought conditions.
By Ben Brasch
Dec 7, 2016

Cobb County fire officials lifted the outdoor burn ban Wednesday after back-to-back days of rain.

For more than five weeks, Cobb County Fire Marshal's Office was not allowing any outdoor burning because of the historic drought conditions parching the entire South.

With the ban now lifted, here's how and what you can burn:

♦ Burn leaves, pine straw and other yard debris in piles no larger than six feet by six feet

♦ Piles must also be at least 50 feet from any structure and a "water-charged hose" must be present during burning

♦ The fire must be completely extinguished at least an hour before sunset

Remember this? Drought in Georgia: Metro Atlanta corn mazes left withered by heat 

The fire marshal's office will resume issuing permits for large yard waste and bonfires.

And you might need a bonfire considering the cold  20-degree temperatures coming to the area.

For more outdoor burning information, check the coun ty's fire website.

About the Author

Ben Brasch is the reporter tasked with keeping Fulton County government accountable. The Florida native moved to Atlanta for a job with The AJC. If there's something important to you going on in Fulton, he wants to know about it. Help him better metro Atlanta by dropping a line, anonymously or otherwise.

Follow Ben Brasch on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Family and friends participated in a processional led by a horse-drawn carriage carrying the remains of Cornelius Taylor from Ebenezer to Atlanta City Hall on Monday, February 3, 2025. Taylor, a homeless man, died during an incident involving city workers clearing a homeless encampment on January 16. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Family of man crushed at homeless encampment sues city of Atlanta

Family says they’re seeking justice for Cornelius Taylor’s “preventable and unjustified” death and the city’s failure to inspect his tent before heavy machinery moved in.

Woman, 60, accused of fatally stabbing woman near Bankhead liquor store

Renee Hudson, 60, was booked into the Fulton County jail Thursday. She faces charges including murder and aggravated assault.

Deaths of 2 teens highlight Georgia’s lightning risk

So far this year, 12 deaths due to lightning strikes have been reported in the U.S.

The Latest

Family and friends participated in a processional led by a horse-drawn carriage carrying the remains of Cornelius Taylor from Ebenezer to Atlanta City Hall on Monday, February 3, 2025. Taylor, a homeless man, died during an incident involving city workers clearing a homeless encampment on January 16. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Family of man crushed at homeless encampment sues city of Atlanta

Woman, 60, accused of fatally stabbing woman near Bankhead liquor store

Deaths of 2 teens highlight Georgia’s lightning risk

Featured

“Our members cannot be bought off,” General President Sean O’Brien said in a social media statement, calling UPS' offers “illegal and haphazard.” (Hyosub Shin/AJC 2023)

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

UPS offers unprecedented buyouts for drivers

The Teamsters union, which represents about 340,000 UPS employees, is urging its full-time members to reject the offers.

Longtime south Atlanta flea market set for massive mixed-use makeover

The developer is planning one of the largest projects in Atlanta’s Southside, a more than $500 million project near Greenbriar Mall.

MARTA chief Collie Greenwood retiring early

MARTA CEO and General Manager Collie Greenwood is leaving “because of immigration and personal matters” and has elected early retirement.