Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK, 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
- Governing section
- MSB § 8.75.050
- Restricted materials
- Plastic, asphalt, rubber, oil waste
- Applies
- Borough-wide, including Palmer, Wasilla, Houston
- Exception path
- Ch. 17.64 permit or ADEC approval
- Fines
- $150 / $300 / $500 by offense number
Summary
Open burning is allowed in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, but materials that give off black smoke or odors, such as plastic, asphalt, rubber, and oil waste, cannot be burned except under a land use permit or with prior written approval from the state, under Matanuska-Susitna Borough Code § 8.75.050. Unlike most of Title 8, this chapter reaches inside Palmer, Wasilla, and Houston too.
Open burning is permissible except that those materials which tend to result in the emission of black smoke or odors, including but not limited to plastic, asphalt, rubber, oil wastes and asphalt-impregnated materials, may not be burned except: (1) In accordance with MSB Chapter 17.64. (2) With prior written Alaska State Department of Environmental Conservation approval in accordance with 18 AAC 50.065. ... The open burning of debris, trees and brush accumulated during land clearing operations shall be conducted in a manner that obtains maximum combustion efficiency throughout the burning period. Tires or similar petroleum product may not be used to start or maintain the fire.
Full Breakdown
065. Subsection (B) requires that open burning of debris, trees, and brush from land clearing be conducted for maximum combustion efficiency, and bars using tires or similar petroleum products to start or maintain the fire. Subsection (C) blocks controlled firefighter-training burns whenever an air quality advisory is in effect for the area. 030(A) makes the whole air quality chapter apply borough-wide, including inside Houston, Palmer, and Wasilla, a broader reach than the noise and special events chapters, which stop at the city limits. 060 layers an added restriction on the Greater Butte Community Council area: no open burning at all when an air quality advisory bars it for that district specifically. 020(C), is to protect residents' right to heat their homes with wood; it does not regulate wood stoves or other indoor heating sources.
Violations & Fines
Violations of Chapter 8.75 are infractions under § 8.75.090(A), enforced consistent with Chapter 1.45. The fine schedule sets $150 for a first offense of the general open burning restrictions in § 8.75.050, $300 for a second, and $500 for a third or subsequent offense; burning during an active Greater Butte air quality advisory under § 8.75.060(C) is fined separately, starting at $150 for a first offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is open burning allowed in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough?
Does the open burning restriction apply inside Wasilla, Palmer, or Houston?
Can I use tires to start a brush pile fire?
What happens during an air quality advisory?
What's the fine for illegal open burning?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Matanuska-Susitna Borough
How Matanuska-Susitna Borough compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Matanuska-Susitna Borough to another location·View the Alaska fire regulations overview
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