NC burn ban lift reopens permit path in Guilford and Rockingham

The N.C. Forest Service says the state-issued open-burning ban is lifted across all North Carolina counties, including Guilford and Rockingham counties in the GetStarNews Triad and Reidsville coverage lanes.

The final 19-county lift took effect at 8 a.m. Friday, May 8, 2026, after additional rainfall moderated fire danger in the western Piedmont, Triad, and foothills. The statewide ban had been in place since March 28 because of hazardous forest-fire conditions.

Burning is not simply automatic. State officials say valid burn permits are required where the law requires them, and all permits issued before the statewide ban were canceled when the ban began. Residents also need to check local fire marshal rules, especially for fires within 100 feet of an occupied dwelling.

For Reidsville, Rockingham County, Greensboro, and Guilford County residents, the practical update is that the state-level restriction has ended, but fire safety remains the standard. Anyone planning debris burning should check current fire danger, obtain a valid permit, keep water and tools nearby, and stay with the fire until it is fully cold.

Source: N.C. Forest Service press release, "State-issued burn ban lifted for all North Carolina counties as fire danger moderates following recent rainfall" (May 7, 2026), ncagr.gov.