Washington County, AR Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Washington County, AR, 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
- County Judge
- Basis for ban
- AR Forestry Commission data or Fire Marshal
- Penalty
- $25–$250 fine, misdemeanor
- Each incident
- Charged as separate offense
- Notice method
- Public/media notice under state law
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Washington County only
Summary
In unincorporated Washington County, the County Judge can declare a county-wide ban on outdoor burning whenever weather or drought conditions make fires a danger, and burning during an active ban is a misdemeanor. Fines run $25 to $250 per incident, with each day or occurrence charged separately.
The County Judge is hereby authorized to declare a county-wide ban on outdoor burning when local circumstances and/or atmospheric conditions make fires a hazard to the health and safety of citizens and/or their property. Said ban shall be based on the following: a. The criteria as used by the Arkansas Forestry Commission; applying the climate data obtained from the National Weather Service observation stations located in Washington County; or b. If otherwise recommended by the County Fire Marshal. ... Violation of this section shall be a misdemeanor and shall be punishable by a fine of not less than Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00) nor more than Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00). Each incident or violation of the section shall constitute a separate offense notwithstanding the fact that said multiple incidents or violations may occur on the same day.
Full Breakdown
02 gives the County Judge authority to declare a county-wide ban on outdoor burning when local circumstances and/or atmospheric conditions make fires a hazard to the health and safety of citizens and their property. The ban is not discretionary guesswork: it must rest on criteria used by the Arkansas Forestry Commission, applying climate data pulled from National Weather Service observation stations located in Washington County, or on a recommendation from the County Fire Marshal. Once a ban is triggered, the County Judge must give public notice under Ark.
§ 12-75-108, and the ban is lifted or extended in accordance with that same state statute; the ordinance directs that notice of the ban and its status be communicated to all local media so residents in unincorporated areas know a ban is active before they burn brush, debris or trash piles. The section applies county-wide to the unincorporated area outside Fayetteville, Springdale, Prairie Grove, Farmington and Elkins, each of which enforces its own municipal fire code. Ordinance history shows the section has been amended twice since original passage in 1996 to update enforcement mechanics (Ord.
1996-016, passed 4-12-1996; Am. Ord. 1996-031, passed 8-12-1996; Am. Ord. 2006-031, passed 6-9-2006), and it carries its own severability clause so a court striking one part leaves the rest of the ban authority intact.
Violations & Fines
Burning in violation of an active ban is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $25.00 nor more than $250.00 under § 360.02(4). Each incident or violation is treated as a separate offense, so multiple burns on the same property on the same day can each be charged individually rather than folded into one citation. There is no stated warning-first grace period in the section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides when outdoor burning is banned in Washington County?
What happens if I burn during an active ban?
How do residents find out a burn ban is in effect?
Does this rule apply inside Fayetteville or Springdale?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington County
How Washington County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Washington County to another location·View the Arkansas fire regulations overview
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