Cass County, ND Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Cass County, ND, 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
- Who declares it
- Commission Chair
- Initial ban length
- Up to 7 days
- Extension
- Renewable with Commission consent
- Notice required
- Red River Regional Dispatch
- Penalty
- Class B misdemeanor
Summary
Cass County's Commission Chair can declare a countywide open burning ban for up to seven days when fire conditions turn unsafe, renewable with Commission consent; residents must notify dispatch before any open fire, per Ordinance #2005-3.
An "open burning restriction" means no person shall initiate, cause, conduct, or permit open fires. ... The Chair of the Commission may declare a restriction on open burning for a period not to exceed seven (7) days. ... A person shall notify the Red River Regional Dispatch Center prior to initiating, causing, conducting, or permitting open fires in Cass County.
Full Breakdown
Under Cass County Ordinance #2005-3 (amended), the Chair of the Board of Commissioners can declare a countywide restriction on open burning whenever local fire officials find conditions unsafe, weighing factors like National Weather Service Red Flag Warnings, the Rangeland Fire Danger Index, and local fire department capacity. The initial declaration runs up to seven days, but the full Commission can extend it further. While a restriction is in effect, anyone starting, causing, or permitting an open fire anywhere in the county must first notify the Red River Regional Dispatch Center, and willfully burning in violation of the ban is a criminal offense.
Violations & Fines
Willfully initiating, causing, conducting, or permitting an open fire during a declared restriction is a Class B misdemeanor under Section 5.1 of Ordinance #2005-3.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can declare a burn ban in Cass County?
What happens if I burn during a ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cass County
How Cass County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Cass County to another location·View the North Dakota fire regulations overview
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