Alamo City Reiterates Burn Permit Requirement

The City of Alamo issued a statement on social media reiterating the city procedures for tree limb removal and burn permits on Dec. 30.

The letter to residents was written by Jimmy Woodard, who maintains the city’s property ordinances, in response to multiple residents leaving piles of tree limbs beside city roads. However, according to the letter, the city “does not have any curbside yard waste nor large appliances pick up of any kind.”

Prior to 2023, the city did provide a roadside pick-up service, transporting the limbs to the Telfair County Landfill. The landfill opted to cease accepting waste from other counties as of Aug. 3, 2023, so the Alamo city government opted to abandon the service.

“The landfill for Telfair County was closed to the other counties, except for Telfair County, because they had to do some remodeling, and so Republic Services said they wouldn’t be able to carry the leaves and limbs up there anymore,” said Alamo City Manager Jeffery Floyd. “So, we just abandoned that service.”

Instead, the city switched to issuing burn permits following Hurricane Helene’s landfall in 2024. Under this system, residents can apply for a burn permit for no cost within the Alamo City Hall to receive permission to destroy any tree limbs on their property.

“They tell us what date, and that kind of thing, what the address is and who’s responsible.” said Floyd. 

As the permit’s primary purpose is to keep a record for first responders in the event of an emergency, the turnaround time for permits is very short. According to Floyd, residents can apply for a permit and then immediately return to their property to burn the limbs, as long as the time is properly listed on the application.

“Used to, you would call the [Georgia] Forestry Department, and the forestry department would do a burn permit and give you a number, but they’ve done away with that in the state of Georgia,” said Floyd.

Residents cannot burn materials on the side of the road, as the heat could reach underground power or gas lines and cause damage. The city will also not issue burn permits on days forecasted to have a high fire danger, such as on Dec. 22.

Otherwise, the city of Alamo has no guidelines on how residents must burn material, though a burn barrel is recommended. Floyd also suggested residents should consult Georgia state guidelines on burning material should any confusion arise.

The city’s burn permit requirements serve as one aspect of the city’s initiative to maintain a clean community, an initiative which is followed by both residents and the city government itself. The Alamo City Council has moved forward with multiple projects to repair and renovate city property, which, according to Floyd, demonstrates the city is also dedicated to the same maintenance it expects from residents.

“It’s hard for the city of Alamo to say, ‘Hey, sir, you need to clean your place up,” but we’re going to let ours be like it is,” Floyd said.