Sheboygan, WI Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Sheboygan, 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
- Default rule
- No fire in the open air within the city limits
- Streets and alleys
- No burning at any time (§ 50-181(a))
- Cemetery leaf fires
- Need a DNR permit and a fire prevention bureau permit
- Fire brigade training fires
- At least 20 feet from any building or combustible material
- Catch-all penalty
- $100.00 to $200.00 plus costs (§ 50-1(c))
- Sky lanterns
- Prohibited in the city (§ 50-183(c))
Summary
Sheboygan bans fires in the open air inside the city limits, and burning on streets or alleys is barred at any time. Section 50-182 carves out a short list of exceptions, from fire department training and cemetery leaf fires to cooking fires, recreational bonfires and permitted beach bonfires.
(a) No person shall burn any wood, grass, leaves or rubbish or other combustible or flammable materials upon the streets or alleys in the corporate city limits at any time. (b) No person shall kindle, start or maintain a fire in the open air within the corporate city limits except as provided in section 50-182 . ... Open burning is prohibited with the following exceptions: ... (3) Fires set for the purpose of burning leaves at cemeteries. A cemetery employee must be in constant attendance from the time the fire is ignited until it is totally extinguished. ... (8) Open burning when allowed under subsection (3) of this section requires a permit from the state department of natural resources (DNR) and a permit from the city fire department bureau of fire prevention.
Full Breakdown
Section 50-181(a) says no person shall burn any wood, grass, leaves or rubbish or other combustible or flammable materials upon the streets or alleys in the corporate city limits at any time. Section 50-181(b) then bars anyone from kindling, starting or maintaining a fire in the open air within the corporate city limits except as provided in section 50-182. Open burning is therefore the default ban, and every fire has to fit one of the listed exceptions.
The exceptions in section 50-182 are narrow. Subsection (1) covers fires set by the fire department for practice, public instruction or testing firefighting equipment. Subsection (2) allows fire brigade and hazardous materials team practice fires for hand fire extinguisher training only, in a noncombustible container no taller than one foot and no larger than eight cubic feet, at least 20 feet from any building, structure or combustible material, with no fire between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. and notice to the chief of the fire department at least 24 hours in advance. Subsection (3) allows leaf burning at cemeteries with a cemetery employee in constant attendance, and subsection (8) requires both a permit from the state department of natural resources and a permit from the city fire department bureau of fire prevention for that burning. Subsection (4) lets fire or law enforcement personnel burn explosives or dangerous material that has no other safe means of disposal, and subsection (7) permits small open flames for welding, acetylene torches, safety flares and heating tar.
Cooking fires (subsection 5), recreational bonfires (subsection 6), officially sponsored bonfires at the Deland Park beach or King Park beach (subsection 10) and metal-container fires on the ice at the Harbor Centre Marina during the winter season (subsection 11) are covered in their own subsections.
Two related rules close gaps. Section 50-183(c) bars launching or using sky lanterns and other airborne open flame devices in the city. Section 102-3 in the solid waste chapter makes it unlawful to burn refuse or animal waste out of doors in the city, while section 102-4 treats composting of grass, leaves and garden waste as lawful when it creates no nuisance.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 50 has one catch-all penalty for sections without their own. Under section 50-1(c), a person found guilty is fined not less than $100.00 or more than $200.00 plus the costs of prosecution, with jail of up to 30 days if the fine and costs go unpaid, and each 24 hours the violation continues is a separate offense. Section 50-1(b) applies the same range to anyone who fails to comply with an order of the chief of the fire department or the chief inspector of the bureau.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn leaves in my yard in Sheboygan?
Who issues burning permits in Sheboygan?
Are sky lanterns allowed in Sheboygan?
Can a neighbor's complaint end a legal fire?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sheboygan
Compare Sheboygan to another location·View the Wisconsin fire regulations overview
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