Burning Land Clearing Debris in Flagler County, FL
Burning land clearing debris in Flagler County is allowed in the right place, with the right authorization, on the right day. On acreage around Bunnell and in the western county, a pile burn can be a practical way to get rid of limbs and stumps. On a Palm Coast lot between occupied homes, it rarely is. Here's what state law requires, how Flagler County burn bans work, the separate rules for small yard-waste piles, and the alternatives.
Authorization comes first
Florida's open-burning law, section 590.125, defines pile burning as burning silvicultural, agricultural, land-clearing or tree-cutting debris that originated on the site, stacked in a round or linear pile. A person may pile burn only after getting authorization from the Florida Forest Service or its designated agent before the burn starts. An authorized pile-burning operation is temporary, running on the same site for six months or less.
The Forest Service's own open-burning flyer, Forest Fire Laws and Open Burning Regulations, says agricultural, silvicultural, land-clearing, pile and acreage burning all require a Forest Service authorization, and that any pile wider than 8 feet needs one, along with fire suppression equipment on hand and additional setbacks. Flagler County falls in the Forest Service's Bunnell District. Ask the Forest Service which setbacks apply when you request the authorization, and do it before the debris is piled, since the pile's location is what has to meet them.
State conditions on a land-clearing burn
The state's air pollution rule on open burning, 62-256.700(3), allows land-clearing debris to be burned in the open only when:
- the debris is burned on the site where it was generated;
- the fire is lit after 9 a.m. Eastern and has no visible flame from one hour before sunset on;
- someone attends the fire the whole time, with adequate extinguishing equipment at hand;
- the material's moisture and makeup favor a clean burn with as little smoke as possible; and
- the person responsible has contacted the Florida Forest Service about the planned burn.
Any other open burning of land-clearing debris has to be done in an air curtain incinerator operated under its air-permit exemption. In areas the Forest Service treats as smoke-sensitive, the fire must be out by an hour before sunset.
What stays out of the pile
The Forest Service flyer lists what it is illegal to burn: household garbage, including paper products, treated lumber, plastics, rubber, tires, pesticides, paint and aerosol containers. Old fencing, demolition lumber, bags and trash found on a lot have to be separated and hauled, not tossed on the brush pile.
Flagler County burn bans
Flagler County declares burn bans when it gets dry. In June 2024 the county issued a countywide ban that prohibited open burning, including fire pits and containers. On April 23, 2025, it declared a local state of emergency and enacted another ban under Chapter 12 of the county code and section 252.38(3) of the Florida Statutes, noting that the Keetch-Byram Drought Index mean was expected to pass 500. That announcement said the ban would last seven days, and emergencies can be extended in seven-day steps.
Before planning any burn, check the county's emergency notices or call the Flagler County community information line at (386) 313-4111. If you see fire or a column of smoke in the woods, the county asks residents to call 911.
Small yard-waste piles
Yard waste from ordinary yard upkeep is handled differently. Under the same state rule, it may be burned only at a home of no more than two family units where it was produced, in a pile no wider than 8 feet or a noncombustible container, at least 25 feet from woods, brush or combustible structures, 50 feet from a paved public road, and 150 feet from any occupied building you don't own or lease, after 9 a.m. Eastern and out by an hour before sunset, never in windy conditions and never unattended. The Forest Service flyer adds that no authorization is needed for yard waste when those setbacks are met and no local ordinance prohibits burning.
Local ordinances can be stricter. Inside Palm Coast, ask the city at (386) 986-2360 or Code Enforcement at (386) 986-3764 before burning anything.
Why most Palm Coast lots don't burn
Look at the distances. A lot between two occupied homes can't put a pile 150 feet from both of them, and clearing debris from a whole lot is a land-clearing burn that needs a Forest Service authorization anyway. Add smoke drifting into neighbors' windows and the chance of a burn ban, and hauling or mulching almost always wins on a city lot. Burning is more realistic on a large tract in the western county, with open ground around the pile.
The alternatives
- Mulch it in place. No pile, no smoke, no trucking. See forestry mulching.
- Grind it on site and spread or haul the chips.
- Haul it. Palm Coast's curbside yard waste is limited to what one person can handle, under 4 cubic yards, so clearing debris leaves by truck or trailer.
- An air curtain incinerator on a big job, operated within the terms of its air-permit exemption.
If a fire gets away
Call 911 at once. A Forest Service flyer warns that the person responsible may be liable for the costs of putting out an escaped fire and for damage to other people's property. That's a reason to confirm in writing who is responsible for any burn on your land: you or the contractor.
Burning questions
Does the owner or the contractor get the authorization?
The state rule puts it on the person responsible for the burn. Agree in the contract who that is, and who stays with the fire.
How long can a burn site stay in use?
Section 590.125 describes authorized pile burning as temporary, on the same site for six months or less.
Is a burn allowed during a county burn ban if it was authorized earlier?
Treat a ban as stopping all open burning until it ends, and call (386) 313-4111 to check the terms of the current one.
Have a lot or acreage in Flagler County to clear?
Call or send a short request, and one independent contractor can come look at it. The referral is free.