Can I still use my gas fire pit or outdoor gas fireplace during a county burn ban?
Yes in most cases — a Waynesville gas fire pit or outdoor gas fireplace stays usable during a burn ban, because Haywood County and the NC Forest Service aim those bans at open burning of wood and brush, not a permanent gas appliance with a spark-free flame and instant off valve. Just confirm the county's exact wording before you light on a dry, windy night.
At 2,644 feet, gas buys you more nights
Waynesville sits near 2,650 feet and runs a good ten to fifteen degrees colder than the lower WNC towns, with a heating season that stretches roughly three weeks longer than Asheville's. That means cool evenings on the patio for a big chunk of the year — and a gas fire pit that stays legal through a burn ban is what keeps those evenings going. The flame is contained, throws no embers, and dies the second you turn the valve, which is why gas appliances are typically exempt from a standard open-burning ban.
Confirm it with Haywood County
"Typically" isn't "always." Haywood County or the NC Forest Service can tighten a ban during a bad drought or a red-flag wind day, and a stricter version may sweep in all outdoor open flame. Two minutes with the county fire marshal settles it before you light. Whether your feature runs off a natural-gas line in town or a propane tank up one of the coves, the appliance is the same in the eyes of the ban — it's the open, sparking fires the rule is chasing, not a valve you can shut in a second.
Wood is grounded either way
The older homes around Hazelwood lean hard on their hearths through these long, cold winters, and plenty of folks love a wood fire outdoors too. But an open wood pit is open burning — live embers, flying sparks — so during a ban it's done, no exceptions. Your gas feature is the workaround that keeps the patio open. We're licensed to run and permit the gas line an outdoor build needs, 35 minutes west of our Asheville showroom. Planning a [gas fire pit](/services/gas-fire-pit-installation)? Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Waynesville
We install and service fireplaces throughout Waynesville and the rest of Haywood County — just 35 minutes west from our Asheville-area showroom.