Outdoor burning rules in Rankin County, MS β also called the burn ban, open burning, or fire restriction ordinance β set when you can burn yard waste, debris, or run a recreational fire.
Outdoor burning in Rankin County is regulated under local fire codes, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality air quality rules, and Mississippi Forestry Commission permit requirements. Open burning of household trash, construction debris, and tires is flatly prohibited statewide under MDEQ rules, while yard waste burning in unincorporated Rankin County typically requires notification to the Forestry Commission. Brandon, Pearl, Richland, and Flowood generally ban open burning within city limits except for small recreational fires, and burn bans during drought apply countywide.
Outdoor burning in Rankin County is governed by the Mississippi Air and Water Pollution Control Law (MS Code Ann. Β§49-17-1 et seq.) and MDEQ Air Pollution Control Regulations 11 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2, R. 1.3 governing open burning. Prohibited burning statewide includes household garbage, plastics, tires, treated lumber, painted or treated wood, asphalt materials, and construction and demolition debris. Yard waste burning (leaves, limbs, and grass clippings) is permitted in unincorporated areas but generally prohibited within the city limits of Brandon, Pearl, Richland, Flowood, and Florence under local nuisance and fire prevention ordinances. Land clearing burns and forestry burns require notification to or permits from the Mississippi Forestry Commission under MS Code Ann. Β§49-19-1 et seq.; MFC maintains a burn permit hotline at 1-800-240-7202 where rural Rankin County residents can register burns during allowed conditions. Burns must be at least 50 feet from any structure, 300 feet from an occupied dwelling for land clearing burns, and attended at all times with water or earth-moving equipment on scene. Burning during red-flag wind conditions or during a declared burn ban is prohibited. The MFC routinely issues summer drought bans that cover Rankin and surrounding Central Mississippi counties, and ozone action days declared by MDEQ can suspend yard waste burning.
Unpermitted or prohibited burning in Rankin County typically carries fines of $200 to $500 under local ordinance. MDEQ violations for burning prohibited materials like trash, tires, or construction debris can reach up to $25,000 per day under MS Code Ann. Β§49-17-43. Causing a wildfire through negligent burning can result in felony charges under MS Code Ann. Β§49-19-351 plus civil liability for suppression costs and property damage.
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