From May 1 – September 30 residents of Gainesville-Hall County are not allowed to conduct any kind of outdoor burning. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division imposes the ban on outdoor burning to comply with Federal Clean Air Regulations. Gainesville Fire Chief Jon Canada said the only exception is cooking fires. A cooking fire is defined as a barbecue, a small burn pit, or a grill type structure. Hall is one of 54 counties abiding by the outdoor ban.