Burning Land Clearing Debris in Roane County, TN

Burning land clearing debris in Roane County is allowed in many places, but the rules change with the season, the town, and what's in the pile. The state requires a free permit for most of the cooler months, Kingston wants its own permit every day of the year, and the City of Loudon in western Loudon County won't permit land-development burns without special equipment. TDEC also limits what can go on the fire and how close it can be to someone else's house. Here is each rule, checked in October 2026, plus the alternatives to burning and how a careful burn is set up.

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Small brush pile burning in the middle of a wide cleared field, with a tractor and water tank trailer parked back and a worker standing by with a hose — A single brush pile burning low in the middle of a wide cleared field, far from the tree line, with a tractor and water tank trailer parked back and a worker standing by with a hose and rake.

The state permit, October 15 to May 15

The Tennessee Division of Forestry's burn permit page says that from October 15 through May 15, an open-air fire "within 500 feet of a forest, grassland, or woodland" needs a permit. The essentials:

Cost: "Permits are free."
Online: available daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., for any size leaf or brush pile and for broadcast burning such as forestry, agricultural, or land clearing burns.
By phone: 877-350-2876 (877-350-BURN), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central.
Neighbors: when burning wooded land, tell adjacent landowners "at least 2 days in advance."
Local rules come first: the page says many towns and cities have burning regulations that "supersede" the state program, and some counties and cities restrict outdoor burning outright.

Outside that season, the state program doesn't require a permit, but city rules, TDEC's open burning rules, and any burn ban still apply.

Town by town

The Division of Forestry keeps a list of counties and cities with their own, stricter burning rules. In October 2026 it listed Kingston and Oliver Springs in Roane County and the City of Loudon in Loudon County.

Kingston. The Kingston Fire Department's burn permit page says city burn permits "are required 365 days a year." They're free, they're issued only on the day of the burn, burning without one can bring a fine, and piles bigger than 8 feet by 8 feet need a call to the fire department. KFD can bar burning when conditions are unsafe. Kingston Fire Department: 865-376-2936.
Oliver Springs. On the state's list with the contact number 865-435-7722. Call before burning inside the town.
City of Loudon. The city's burn permit page says permits come from the Loudon Fire Department and are good only for the day of the burn. Only clean wood waste and vegetation grown on the property may be burned, and "Permits shall not be issued for opening burning of wood waste for land development" unless an air curtain destructor or incinerator is used, on a site of 20 acres. Other limits: no open burning within a mile of a nursing home, school, or state highway; fires over 3 feet across at least 50 feet from structures, smaller ones at least 25 feet; no burning on windy days, at night, or on days forecast to be Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse. City hall: 865-458-2033.
Harriman, Rockwood, Greenback, Philadelphia, and the unincorporated county. Not on the state's list when checked. The state permit applies in season. A city can still have its own ordinance, so if you're inside city limits, ask city hall, or ask the Division of Forestry at 877-350-2876 when you request the permit.

What TDEC allows on the fire

TDEC's open burning page (updated July 6, 2026) says it may be okay to burn leaves, branches, limbs, twigs, woody vegetation, and clean, unpainted, untreated wood. Never burn tires or rubber, vinyl siding or shingles, plastics, household trash, or paints and chemicals. Improper burning can bring fines of up to $25,000. That rules out a pile with an old shed, treated fence posts, or buried wire and plastic mixed in, so keep construction debris and trash out of the brush piles from the start.

There's also a distance rule. When wood waste is burned within 200 feet of an occupied building by someone who doesn't live there, state law as TDEC describes it requires that at least one person stay at the fire the whole time, that each burn last no more than 48 hours, and that burning happen no more than twice in any 30-day period. Within 100 feet, an adult occupant has to give written permission, which they can take back in writing. TDEC: 1-888-891-8332.

Burn bans

The Division of Forestry says burn bans are issued by the Commissioner of Agriculture, working with the state forester and county mayors, or by the Governor. A ban reaches further than a permit refusal: it covers campfires and cooking fires too, and violating one carries heavier penalties than burning without a permit. The division also notes that when it stops issuing permits on a dangerous day, that alone "is not considered a burn ban." Check the day you plan to burn.

Setting up a careful burn

Get the permit for the day, and check the weather and wind before lighting.
Pile in the open, well away from the tree line, buildings, power lines, and the septic area, on ground that won't carry fire into the woods.
Build several small piles instead of one huge one; they burn cleaner and are easier to control.
Scrape a bare-soil line around each pile and have water and hand tools at the fire.
Stay with it until it's out, and be sure it's out before the permit expires.
Keep fires on your own land, and off any TVA shoreland.

When burning isn't the answer

Inside the City of Loudon, on a small lot close to neighbors, or when a ban is on, the debris has to go another way:

Mulch it where it stands. Forestry mulching leaves nothing to pile.
Chip or grind it. Brush and limbs can be run through a chipper or tub grinder and the chips spread or hauled.
Keep the wood. Saw logs and firewood stay with you instead of going on a fire or a truck.
Haul it. Usually the costliest choice, since it's priced by the load. HomeAdvisor's 2025 land clearing guide (checked October 2026) lists debris removal at $100 to $800, a national figure.

Say in the quote which of these the contractor will use, and who gets any burn permit.

Burning questions

Who gets the burn permit, the landowner or the contractor?

Whoever is doing the burning. Put it in writing so it doesn't fall between you.

Can clearing debris be burned in summer?

The state permit season runs October 15 to May 15. Outside it, the state program doesn't require a permit, but Kingston's year-round permit, the City of Loudon's rules, TDEC's limits, and any burn ban still apply.

Can stumps go on the fire?

Clean wood is on TDEC's may-burn list, but stumps carry soil and rock, burn slowly, and can smolder for a long time. Many jobs grind them instead; see stump grinding.

Do the neighbors need to know?

On wooded land, the Division of Forestry says to tell adjacent landowners at least two days ahead. Within 200 feet of someone else's occupied home, TDEC's attendance and timing rules apply, and within 100 feet you need an adult occupant's written permission.

How this site can help

Let us know where the property is, inside a town or out in the county, and whether you'd rather burn, mulch, or haul. Your request goes to one independent contractor serving your area, who will look at the job and quote it in writing. The choice is yours, and the referral is free. This page is general information, not legal advice; the Division of Forestry, TDEC, and your city have the final say on their rules.

Ready to have someone look at the property?

Call, or send a few details online. The referral costs you nothing.