Sebastian County, AR Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Sebastian 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
- Governing section
- § 92.15, adopted 1988
- Who declares a ban
- County Judge
- Applies to
- unincorporated county only
- Fine range
- $25 to $300
- State coordination
- notifies State Forestry Commission, Clarksville
Summary
Sebastian County's County Judge can declare a burning ban across the unincorporated county during dry, dangerous weather under Code § 92.15. The ban is announced through local news media rather than a fixed calendar, and violating it is a misdemeanor punishable under § 92.99.
§ 92.15 DECLARATION OF BAN. (A) During periods of dry weather when conditions for dangerous burning exists, a burning ban may be declared by the County Judge. (B) Burning ban declarations issued by the County Judge and released to the public through regular news media press releases shall establish the period of time burning in the unincorporated areas of the county is prohibited and other pertinent information relevant to the action taken. (C) The State Forestry Commission regional headquarters in Clarksville shall also be notified of the burning ban to provide for coordination of activities.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-62: 2026 S-62 contains Local legislation current through April 21, 2026).
Full Breakdown
15, part of the Burning Procedures subchapter adopted by Ord. 88-13 on June 22, 1988, gives the County Judge standing authority to halt outdoor burning whenever dry weather creates dangerous burning conditions. The ordinance sets no fixed calendar burn season; instead the County Judge monitors conditions and issues a ban as needed. Once declared, the ban applies only in the unincorporated areas of the county, so burning rules inside Fort Smith, Greenwood, Barling and the county's other incorporated cities are governed by each city's own fire code, not this section.
The County Judge releases the ban through regular news media press releases, which must state the period the ban covers and any other pertinent information, so residents should watch local television, radio and newspaper alerts rather than assume a ban has lifted after a set number of days. 15(C) also requires the county to notify the State Forestry Commission regional headquarters in Clarksville whenever a ban is declared, coordinating county enforcement with the state's wildfire response. 15 is a distinct standing power the County Judge can invoke on his or her own.
Violations & Fines
Sebastian County Code § 92.99(C) makes failure to comply with a declared burning ban a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $300. Any other Chapter 92 violation without its own listed penalty defaults to the general penalty section, § 10.99. County deputies and fire officials enforce the ban once the County Judge issues it and news media announce it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides when Sebastian County issues a burning ban?
Does the county's burning ban cover Fort Smith or Greenwood?
What happens if I burn during a declared ban?
How will I know a ban has been declared?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sebastian County
How Sebastian County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Sebastian County to another location·View the Arkansas fire regulations overview
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