Portage County, WI Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Portage County, WI, 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
- What's banned
- Burning materials designated recyclable under § 4.8.2
- Not covered
- No separate open-burning or campfire permit chapter
- First-offense forfeiture
- Up to $50.00
- Enforcement
- Sheriff's Department, Solid Waste Director, Site Coordinator
- Referral
- Prosecutions go to Portage County Corporation Counsel
Summary
Portage County's only local burning restriction targets its recycling program: § 4.8.8 makes it 'prohibited for any person to burn' materials designated as recyclable, including plastics, paper, tires, batteries, appliances and electronics, once they have been separated out under § 4.8.2.
It is prohibited for any person to burn the following recyclable materials: ... •Foam polystyrene packaging•Glass containers•Magazines or other paper printed on similar paper•Newspaper or newsprint•Office paper•Rigid plastic containers made of PETE, HDPE, PVC, LDPE, PP, PS, and other resins or multiple-resins•Steel containers•Bi-metal beverage containers•Tires•Lead acid batteries•Major appliances•Used oil or used oil filters
Full Breakdown
Section 4.8.8, Burning Prohibitions, states it is 'prohibited for any person to burn the following recyclable materials,' then lists aluminum containers, corrugated paper, foam polystyrene packaging, glass containers, magazines, newspaper, office paper, rigid plastic containers (PETE, HDPE, PVC, LDPE, PP, PS and other resins), steel and bi-metal containers, tires, lead acid batteries, major appliances, used oil and oil filters, and covered electronic peripherals. The ban only reaches materials that fall within § 4.8.2's mandatory-separation list, so it operates as a recycling-diversion rule rather than a general campfire or brush-burning ordinance; Portage County's code does not include a separate open-burning permit chapter, and burning of ordinary yard debris or campfires is not addressed in this section.
Enforcement runs through § 4.8.9: the Portage County Sheriff's Department, Solid Waste Director and Solid Waste Site Coordinator are authorized to issue citations, with referrals for prosecution going to the Portage County Corporation Counsel, and violators can lose their privileges to use the county transfer and recycling facilities in addition to paying the forfeiture.
Violations & Fines
Section 4.8.9 sets the forfeiture for burning designated recyclable materials at not more than $50.00 for a first violation, not more than $200.00 for a second, and not more than $2,000.00 for a third or subsequent violation, plus costs and assessments, and violators can lose the privilege of using the county transfer and recycling facilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn plastic or foam packaging in unincorporated Portage County?
Does Portage County regulate general backyard fires or brush burning?
What's the penalty for burning banned recyclables?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Portage County
How Portage County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Portage County to another location·View the Wisconsin fire regulations overview
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