Peoria County, IL Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Peoria County, IL, 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
- Adopted code
- 2018 International Fire Code (§ 12-25)
- County amendment
- Deletes recreational-fires exception (§ 12-26(p))
- Amended provision
- 2018 IFC § 105.6.32, 'Open burning'
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Fire Prevention / Dir. of Planning & Zoning
- Maximum fine
- $1,000 per day, petty offense
- Geographic scope
- Unincorporated Peoria County only
Summary
Peoria County adopted the 2018 International Fire Code and, in Section 12-26(p), specifically deleted the code's built-in recreational-fires exception from the open-burning section, so campfires and similar recreational fires in the unincorporated county no longer get an automatic pass from the code's open-burning requirements.
The 2018 International Fire Code is hereby adopted by reference. No appendices are adopted. ... Section 105.6.32 "Open burning" is hereby amended by deleting the "Exception: Recreational Fires."
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52).
Full Breakdown
Section 12-25 adopts the 2018 International Fire Code by reference for unincorporated Peoria County, with no appendices. 32 imposes on other outdoor burning in the county. This chapter applies only in the unincorporated area under Section 12-1(a); the incorporated cities of Peoria, Chillicothe, and Bartonville enforce their own fire codes. The county's Department of Planning and Zoning acts as the Department of Fire Prevention, with the Director of Planning and Zoning in charge, per Section 12-26(c). The county derives its authority to adopt and enforce this fire code from Section 5-1063 of the Illinois Counties Code (55 ILCS 5/5-1063) and Section 47-5 of the Criminal Code of 1961 (720 ILCS 5/47-5), per Section 12-2.
1 (Section 12-26(m)), and the fire code official can post a notice of violation describing the unsafe condition and set a re-inspection deadline under Section 12-26(t).
Violations & Fines
Violating the open-burning provisions of the adopted Fire Code, including burning a recreational fire without meeting Section 105.6.32's requirements, is a petty offense under Peoria County Code Section 12-6(a), punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, with each day the violation continues counted as a separate offense. The fire code official can post a notice of violation under Section 12-12, and the county can pursue enforcement through the State's Attorney's office or the Code Hearing Unit under Section 12-6(b)-(c).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a recreational campfire in unincorporated Peoria County without following the open-burning rule?
Does this rule apply inside the City of Peoria?
Who enforces the open-burning rule in the county?
What's the penalty for violating the open-burning rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Peoria County
How Peoria County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Peoria County to another location·View the Illinois fire regulations overview
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