Wisconsin does not impose a wildfire defensible-space clearance mandate like the Western states. There is no countywide brush-clearance ordinance in Waukesha County; the only fire-clearance rule is a 3-foot cleared area around a burning incinerator under local outdoor-fire codes.
Southeastern Wisconsin is not a high wildfire-hazard region, so neither the county nor the state requires homeowners to clear brush for defensible space. Overgrown vegetation is instead handled through municipal weed and nuisance ordinances and the county's noxious-weed authority (Wis. Stat. 66.0407), not a fire code. The only fire-related clearance rule is operational: the Town of Waukesha requires all grass and flammable material cleared 3 feet around any burning incinerator, and burning cannot occur in dry conditions or high wind. For brush disposal, DNR open-burning rules and permits apply. Confirm nuisance-vegetation and tall-grass rules with your specific city, village or town.
No county brush-clearance penalty exists; overgrowth is enforced under municipal weed/nuisance ordinances, and unsafe burning under the outdoor-fire code carries a forfeiture.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Waukesha County, WI
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See how Waukesha County's brush clearance rules stack up against other locations.
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