Howard County, IN Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Howard County, IN, 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 basis
- I.C. 10-14-3-29 emergency declaration
- Open burning
- Prohibited countywide, no permit process
- Burn barrels
- Banned outright, no exceptions
- Cooking/heating fires
- Exempt if contained and monitored
- Maximum fine
- $2,500 per § 10.99
- Adopting ordinance
- Ord. 2012-BCCO-17
Summary
Unincorporated Howard County operates under a standing declared emergency that bans open burning of any kind: comfort fires, agricultural and timber burning, and burning of construction debris are all prohibited outright. Burn barrels are banned at any residential, business, or commercial structure with no exception. The Board of Commissioners adopted the ban under state emergency-management authority, and it stays in force until the Board repeals it.
(A) The Howard County Board of Commissioners, declare and ordain pursuant to the provisions of I.C. 10-14-3-29, that a state or emergency exists in the county with respect to fire hazards; and that we hereby invoke ad declare those portions of the Indiana Code which are applicable to the conditions and have cause the issuance of this proclamation, to be in full force and effect in the county until repealed, for the exercise of all necessary emergency authority to protect the lives and property of the citizens of Howard County. (B) The Board of Commissioners also declare that, effective immediately, the following activities are prohibited in Howard County: (1) Open burning of any kind, including comfort fires, agricultural fires (including timber or vegetation), burning of debris (including construction materials) or similar burning ... and (2) Use of burn barrels or similar containers for any open burning at residential, business or commercial structures.
Full Breakdown
C. ' The declaration took effect immediately and remains in force 'until repealed' by the Board, so it is not a seasonal order that lapses on its own; residents should treat the ban as standing law rather than checking for an active date range. 02(B)(2) separately and categorically bans 'burn barrels or similar containers for any open burning at residential, business or commercial structures,' with no containment exception at all, unlike the narrow carve-out the same section gives to contained cooking and heating fires. Because the ordinance was adopted as an emergency declaration under Ord.
2012-BCCO-17 rather than a seasonal burn-permit chapter, there is no permit process in the code to request an exception for agricultural or debris burning; the prohibition is total for those activities. 99, which allows a fine of up to $2,500 and treats each day a violation continues as a separate offense, so an unextinguished pile burning across multiple days can compound quickly. The ban applies in unincorporated Howard County; Kokomo, Greentown, and Russiaville enforce their own separate rules within their corporate limits.
Violations & Fines
Open burning and burn-barrel violations are penalized under the county's general penalty section, § 10.99: a fine of up to $2,500, with each day a fire continues or a burn barrel remains in use counted as a separate offense. Because § 92.02 carries no dedicated penalty clause, this general countywide fine schedule is what governs enforcement of the burn ban itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn brush or yard debris on my property in unincorporated Howard County?
Are burn barrels allowed if I keep a lid on them?
What happens if I get caught violating the burn ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Howard County
How Howard County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Howard County to another location·View the Indiana fire regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.