Saline County, AR Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Saline County, AR, 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
- Who can declare a ban
- Saline County Judge
- Maximum ban length
- 30 days
- Criteria source
- AR Forestry Commission / US Forest Service / county EM
- First violation
- Warning only
- Subsequent violation fine
- $100.00 each
- Fine proceeds
- Volunteer fire departments
Summary
The Saline County Judge can declare a burning ban for up to 30 days when fire danger criteria from the Arkansas Forestry Commission, U.S. Forest Service or county Emergency Management are met. A first violation draws a warning; every later violation is a misdemeanor with a $100 fine.
1) The Saline County Judge is hereby authorized during period of fire danger to declare a ban on burning for a period not to exceed 30 days. The criteria for determining when a ban on burning shall be declared shall be the criteria used by the Arkansas Forestry Commission and/or the United States Forest Service, and/or the Saline County Office of Emergency Management. ... 2) PENALTY. A warning shall be issued for the first violation of this Ordinance. Any subsequent violation after the violator has been given a warning, shall be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $100.00 for each subsequent violation. 3) All fines shall be allocated pro rate to the volunteer fire departments of Saline County, Arkansas for their operational needs.
Full Breakdown
Ordinance No. 2000-044, passed June 18, 2000, authorizes the Saline County Judge, during periods of fire danger, to declare a ban on outdoor burning in the county for a period not to exceed 30 days. The decision to declare a ban rests on the fire-danger criteria used by the Arkansas Forestry Commission and/or the United States Forest Service and/or the Saline County Office of Emergency Management, so the county judge is not acting on personal discretion alone but on recognized fire-risk indicators from those agencies.
The Quorum Court passed the ordinance under an emergency clause, finding it necessary for the protection and preservation of public health and safety and for the prevention of damage and loss of life from wildfires, and it took effect immediately upon passage and publication. Fines collected under the ordinance are not sent to the county general fund; they are allocated pro rata to the volunteer fire departments of Saline County for their operational needs, tying enforcement revenue directly back to the agencies that respond to wildfires sparked during a ban.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of a declared burn ban draws only a warning. Any subsequent violation after that warning is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $100.00 for each additional violation, with proceeds allocated pro rata to the county's volunteer fire departments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who declares a burn ban in Saline County?
What happens the first time I violate a Saline County burn ban?
Where does the money go from Saline County burn ban fines?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Saline County
How Saline County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Saline County to another location·View the Arkansas fire regulations overview
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