Outdoor burning rules in Sedgwick County, KS — also called the burn ban, open burning, or fire restriction ordinance — set when you can burn yard waste, debris, or run a recreational fire.
Open burning in unincorporated Sedgwick County requires a burn permit (free for agricultural/open burns). Burning is banned when wind exceeds 15 mph, must be attended continuously, kept clear of structures and property lines, and heavy smoke-producing materials like tires and plastics are prohibited.
The Sedgwick County Fire District issues burn permits online or at any county fire station. Permit conditions require that burning be conducted one hour after sunrise to one hour before sunset (except agriculture and other specifically approved fires), that a competent adult attend the fire continuously from ignition to extinguishment, and that burning not occur when wind speed exceeds 15 mph. Field fires need a plowed or disked fire break of at least 20 feet on all sides; pile burns must be at least 100 feet from any structure and 10 feet from any property line. Burning heavy smoke-producing material — rubber tires, plastics, roofing, tar paper, furniture, garbage, cloth, or petroleum products — is strictly prohibited. Kansas open-burning rules
Burning without a permit or outside permit conditions is enforced by the Sedgwick County Fire District; fires may be ordered out and violators cited. Illegal materials burning can trigger KDHE air-quality penalties.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
sedgwick-county-ks
Sedgwick County does not prohibit backyard composting of yard and food waste. Compost must be managed so it does not become an odor, vermin, or nuisance prob...
sedgwick-county-ks
Sedgwick County has no ordinance banning artificial turf on residential yards in unincorporated areas. Installation is generally treated as landscaping. Zoni...
sedgwick-county-ks
Sedgwick County does not prohibit native prairie plants or pollinator gardens, but any vegetation must stay under the Chapter 19 nuisance height (18 inches) ...
sedgwick-county-ks
Rainwater collection is legal in Kansas. Sedgwick County has no ordinance banning rain barrels. Rooftop capture for domestic, garden, and livestock use is al...
sedgwick-county-ks
Sedgwick County sets no county-wide lawn-watering schedule. If you get water from the City of Wichita, a permanent 3-day odd/even watering schedule applies. ...
sedgwick-county-ks
Sedgwick County's Chapter 19 Nuisance Code makes grass or rank vegetation over 18 inches on unincorporated property a nuisance. Separately, Kansas Noxious We...
See how Sedgwick County's outdoor burning rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.