Will County, IL Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)

Will County Code Ch. 155 (Nuisances) and the Will County Land Use Ordinance require property owners to prevent the accumulation of combustible vegetation, rubbish, and dead trees that create fire hazards. Municipal weed ordinances in Joliet (Code §16-69), Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Lockport, Crest Hill, New Lenox, Mokena, Frankfort, and Plainfield typically require grass and weeds be cut below 8 to 10 inches. Illinois has no statewide defensible space statute equivalent to California PRC 4291; authority rests with local fire departments and home rule municipalities. The Will County Sheriff's Office Fire Investigations Unit and municipal fire marshals (Joliet FD, Bolingbrook FD, Plainfield FPD, New Lenox FPD, Frankfort FPD, Romeoville FD) enforce hazardous vegetation orders. Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie (18,500+ acres, largest tallgrass prairie east of the Mississippi) conducts US Forest Service prescribed burns each spring. Vacant lot overgrowth near the BNSF/UP intermodal hubs and I-80 corridor is a recurring enforcement priority, especially post-tornado season (April-June).