Alachua County, FL Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Alachua County, FL, also called the burn ban, open burning, or fire restriction ordinance, set when you can burn yard waste, debris, or run a recreational fire.
Key Facts
- Trigger
- KBDI drought index reaches 500 on Forest Service map
- Ban duration
- Seven days from issuance unless renewed
- Enforcing agency
- Alachua County Fire Rescue Department
- Grill exemption
- Up to 3 ft diameter, 2 ft height (§ 362.55)
- Penalty
- Liable for damages plus fire suppression costs
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county plus contracted municipal fire areas
Summary
Alachua County's fire chief can activate a countywide burn ban whenever the Keetch-Byram Drought Index reaches 500, banning campfires, bonfires, trash burning, and other open fires under County Code § 362.53. Each ban runs for seven days unless renewed, and violators are personally liable for suppression costs and damages, on top of code-enforcement penalties.
(1)A burn ban may be activated when fire hazard conditions exist.(2)The fire chief or designee may issue a burn ban under this Article if conditions exist which threaten the safety of residents or property within Alachua County, even if the conditions do not meet the threshold for fire hazard conditions, as defined herein.(3)The fire department will enforce all burn bans beginning once the required notification of the public of the active burn ban has been completed and shall continue until the burn ban automatically enters inactive status in accordance with this article.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 63).
Full Breakdown
53, the fire chief or a designee may also activate a ban 'if conditions exist which threaten the safety of residents or property within Alachua County,' even below that KBDI threshold, and the Alachua County Fire Rescue Department enforces the ban once the required public notification is completed. 51(7) defines 'open fires' broadly to include campfires, bonfires, unpermitted controlled burns, burning of yard and household trash, burning of construction or organic debris, and igniting fireworks. 54 unless renewed, and enforcement automatically lapses when it enters inactive status.
56, the article applies in all unincorporated areas of the county and inside any municipality that contracts with the county for first-response fire protection, but yields to a conflicting municipal ordinance in those contract cities, so residents of Gainesville and any city running its own fire department instead answer to their own code. 57.
Violations & Fines
Violating an active burn ban makes a person liable for all resulting damages, recoverable in court, plus the cost of suppressing and extinguishing the fire: liability that under § 362.57(2)(a) can reach any person, firm, or corporation who caused, directed, or permitted the burn, not just the one who lit it. Section 362.57(2)(b) also makes any violation of Article III punishable under Chapter 24 of the Alachua County Code, the county's general code-enforcement penalty chapter, in addition to the civil damages exposure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides when Alachua County activates a burn ban?
How long does a burn ban last?
Can I still use a grill or fire pit during a burn ban?
What happens if I violate a burn ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alachua County
How Alachua County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Alachua County to another location·View the Florida fire regulations overview
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