Sioux City, IA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Sioux City Fire Rescue administers open burning under Title 19 of the Municipal Code in coordination with the Iowa Fire Code (2024 IFC Chapter 3 at https://up.codes/viewer/iowa/ifc-2024, adopted statewide via 661 IAC Ch. 5) and the Iowa DNR's open-burning rule at 567 IAC 23.2 (https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/iac/rule/567.23.2.pdf). The Fire Rescue Permits page (https://www.sioux-city.org/government/departments-a-f/fire-rescue/permits-licenses) confirms that a permit is required for any open burning within the city. Permit fees are $20.00 per day or $30.00 for two consecutive days, payable to Fire Rescue at 712-279-6377 or in person at the Fire Rescue office. Permits authorize the burning of landscape waste such as twigs and branches only. Burning of leaves, grass clippings, household trash, construction debris, tires, painted or treated wood, and similar materials is prohibited at all times regardless of permit. Recreational fires in commercially manufactured fire pits or chimineas are exempt from the permit requirement provided they meet the Fire Rescue siting rules (10-foot setback, not on a wooden deck, not on a balcony, spark screen, attended at all times, winds below 15 mph). Iowa DNR's open-burning rule independently prohibits open burning of solid waste, household trash, and rubber-derived fuels and imposes setback and nuisance limits even where a city permit has been issued. All open burning — including permitted burns and recreational fires — is automatically suspended whenever the Iowa State Fire Marshal declares a statewide or county burn ban (current list at https://dps.iowa.gov/divisions/state-fire-marshal/burn-bans) or whenever the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors imposes a county-level ban. Sioux City and Woodbury County have repeatedly entered partial or full burn bans during 2024 and 2025 drought windows, including February 2026 (see https://www.ktiv.com/2026/02/27/partial-burn-ban-declared-parts-woodbury-county/).