Bowling Green, KY Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

The Bowling Green Code of Ordinances Sec. 12-6.01 declares that open burning inside the city limits must comply with KRS Chapter 149 and the open burning regulations at 401 KAR 63:005, and requires a permit for any open burning except three specific activities: contained fires set for warmth, cooking, and camping; construction site warming fires; and fires set to train employees in firefighting methods. The Fire Prevention Division, under Sec. 12-6.06, is the office responsible for accepting applications and issuing burn permits for every category authorized under Chapter 12-6, including commercial site-clearing burns (Sec.

12-6.04) and ceremonial bonfires (Sec. 12-6.05), both of which require a pre-burn inspection and, for bonfires, a Fire Prevention Division determination on pile size and site requirements. Construction site warming fires can skip the permit only if they burn clean, unpainted, uncoated, untreated wood in a container no larger than fifty-five gallons, the air temperature is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and an adult over eighteen attends the fire and fully extinguishes it whenever workers leave the site. Commercial site-clearing fires must use only material generated on site, and the Fire Department can add safety conditions before issuing that permit.

Under Sec. 12-6.07, anyone who violates the open burning subchapter faces a local civil fine of $100 for a first violation, while companies that violate the construction-site or commercial-burning provisions specifically (Secs. 12-6.03 and 12-6.04) face a $500 civil fine. Each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense, and additional fines from state or federal agencies can still apply on top of the city's.