Aurora, IL Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Aurora, IL, 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
- Governing section
- § 4-7, Chapter 4 (Air Pollution)
- Smoke limit
- Ringelmann Number 2 or darker banned
- Enforced by
- Fire marshal and police department
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor per § 4-5 / § 1-10
- Applies
- Citywide, all four counties
Summary
Aurora bans burning combustible material, leaves, brush, debris, trash, in open fires citywide, regardless of which of the four counties (Kane, DuPage, Will, Kendall) the address sits in; the fire marshal issues permits and can refuse or condition them.
It shall be unlawful to burn in open fires any combustible material, including without limiting the generality of the foregoing, automotive or locomotive equipment or parts, other machinery, industrial wastes, paints, oils, wood and fibers, plastics, papers, garbage, debris, leaves, brush or refuse, to cause, suffer or allow the emission of smoke from any such source into the atmosphere in excess of Ringelmann Number 2. The fire marshal may refuse to issue a permit whenever, in his opinion, undue danger or a serious nuisance to people or property in the vicinity of the proposed fire would result. In all cases, due care shall be exercised to minimize the dangers and nuisances inherent in open burning, and nothing herein contained shall relieve a permittee from liability or damages resulting from his acts. The fire marshal may condition the issuance of a permit upon compliance with such procedures and precautions as he deems necessary and are not in conflict with the purpose and intent of this chapter. Nothing in this section shall serve to abrogate any other law, ordinance, rule or regulation of the state or its duly constituted municipal corporations. (Code 1969, § 4-6)
Cross reference— Burning of combustible material, § 20-16.
Full Breakdown
Aurora Code of Ordinances § 4-7 makes it unlawful to burn combustible material, automotive parts, industrial waste, paint, oils, wood, plastics, papers, garbage, debris, leaves, brush, or refuse, in an open fire if the smoke exceeds Ringelmann Number 2, the federal smoke-density standard. The fire marshal, who enforces Chapter 4 alongside the police department, can refuse a permit whenever the proposed fire poses undue danger or a serious nuisance, and can condition any permit issued. As a home-rule city under Ill. Const. art. VII, § 6, Aurora applies this rule uniformly citywide, whether the property sits in Kane, DuPage, Will, or Kendall County.
Violations & Fines
Violating the open-burning smoke limit is a misdemeanor under § 4-5, enforced by the fire marshal and police department, with fines set under the general penalty provision at § 1-10.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn leaves or brush in my Aurora yard?
Does the open-burning ban apply the same in Kane, DuPage, Will, and Kendall County parts of Aurora?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Aurora
How Aurora compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Aurora to another location·View the Illinois fire regulations overview
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Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle outdoor burning.