Boone County, KY Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Boone County, KY, 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
- Ban authority
- Judge-Executive by executive order
- Ban trigger
- Major fire hazard finding or DOF notice
- Routine burn notice
- Sign posted 24 hrs before, Fire Chief called
- Sign lettering
- At least 3 inches tall
- Ban violation fine
- $5 to $500, § 94.99(A)
- Notice violation fine
- $25 to $500, § 94.99(C)
Summary
Boone County lets residents burn vegetation and construction debris in the unincorporated county only after posting warning signs and notifying the Fire Department, and the Judge-Executive can shut off all open burning countywide the moment a major fire hazard is declared. Boone County Code §§ 94.01 and 94.30-94.33 set the two rules.
§ 94.01 OPEN BURNING BAN DURING PERIODS OF EXTREME FIRE HAZARD. (A) The Judge-Executive, or his/her designee shall be authorized to enact by executive order a ban on all open burning in the unincorporated areas of the county, either when he/she determines that a major fire hazard exists or when notified by the Kentucky Division of Forestry, advising that such a hazard exists. (B) No person shall be allowed to participate in open burning in the unincorporated areas of the county upon the signing of an executive order provided for in division (A).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-28: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance 2025-20, passed 6-17-25; and State legislation current through KRS 2025).
Full Breakdown
Two separate open-burning regimes sit in Chapter 94. 33, defines OPEN BURNING as a fire set to burn vegetation or debris from excavation or a construction project, excluding fires set to burn plant beds. Anyone who wants to burn under that rule must post two signs reading 'Open Burning' with the burn's time and date, in letters at least three inches tall, in two prominent spots aimed at alerting neighbors, starting at least 24 hours before the fire and staying up until it is out; the burner must also call or speak to the local Fire Chief or a designee before lighting the fire.
01 gives the county Judge-Executive, or a designee, power to shut down all open burning in the unincorporated county by executive order the moment a major fire hazard is found, or the moment the Kentucky Division of Forestry notifies the county that one exists; once that order is signed, nobody may burn anything outdoors in the unincorporated county until it is lifted. 401. Only the unincorporated county is covered; Florence, Union and Walton set their own fire codes inside city limits.
Violations & Fines
Burning during an executive-order ban is a misdemeanor under § 94.99(A), fined $5 to $500 per offense. Skipping the sign-posting or Fire Department notice required for ordinary open burning under §§ 94.30-94.33 is a separate misdemeanor fined $25 to $500 for each offense under § 94.99(C), and each day a violation continues counts on its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn brush or construction debris on my property in Boone County?
Who can order a burn ban in Boone County?
What is the fine for burning during a countywide ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Boone County
How Boone County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Boone County to another location·View the Kentucky fire regulations overview
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