Oldham County, KY Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Section 92.03 of the Oldham County Code makes open burning, defined in § 92.02 as burning without an approved burn chamber, stack or chimney, unlawful throughout the county except for eleven enumerated purposes. Allowed fires include cooking food, recreational or ceremonial fires, individual homeowners burning leaves, and disposal of household rubbish from dwellings of five family units or fewer if an occupant attends the fire. Construction and other workers may keep small comfort fires only if the ambient temperature is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the fire produces no excessive smoke, only clean lumber or vegetative matter is burned, and the container does not exceed 55 gallons.

Burning to clear natural growth or storm-felled trees is capped at two contiguous acres, and fires disposing of accidental oil or petroleum spills require prior Cabinet for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection permission. No extraneous material such as tires or heavy oil that produces dense smoke may be used to ignite or feed any allowed fire, and burning is barred whenever conditions threaten a forest fire; every allowed fire must be continuously monitored. Section 92.04 layers additional restrictions on counties designated non-attainment for ozone or particulate matter, and § 92.10 lets the County Judge-Executive declare a burning ban during extraordinary dryness, with discretion to authorize emergency burning if it can be conducted safely.

Under § 92.99(A), intentionally burning material in violation of §§ 92.01 through 92.09 draws a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $1,000 for each offense on each day the illegal burning continues, while violating the extraordinary-dryness ban under § 92.10 carries a separate fine of $10 to $500 per offense.