Walton County, FL Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Walton County, FL, 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
- Trigger
- High-to-extreme wildfire hazard, Fire Danger Index
- First violation
- Civil citation up to $500.00
- Repeat/refusal
- Second-degree misdemeanor, up to 60 days jail
- Enforcement
- Sheriff's Office and Code Compliance, § 10-3(g)
- Exemptions
- Firefighter training, Forest Service burns, grills
Summary
Walton County can declare a countywide burn ban prohibiting all open fires once wildfire hazard conditions reach the high-to-extreme range on Florida's Wildland Fire Danger Index. The Walton County Sheriff's Office and Code Compliance enforce it: a first violation is a civil citation up to $500.00, and refusing to put out a fire, or a repeat violation, is a second-degree misdemeanor.
(2)Burn ban means the prohibition of any and all open fires during certain drought conditions except for those expressly permitted, or exempted, by this section or Florida Statute. ... (g)Enforcement; penalties.(1)Enforcement. The Walton County Sheriff's Office and Walton County Code Compliance are hereby empowered to enforce this section pursuant to the relevant provisions of state and local law.(2)Penalties.a.A first violation of this section may be enforced by a civil citation not to exceed $500.00.b.Any refusal to extinguish a fire in violation of this section, and/or any second or subsequent violation of this section shall necessitate enforcement by the Walton County Sheriff's Office as a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable by a fine not to exceed $500.00 or by imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed 60 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Full Breakdown
Walton County Code § 10-3, adopted by Ordinance No. 2022-10 in June 2022, lets the county activate a 'burn ban' prohibiting all open fires, including campfires, bonfires, unpermitted controlled burns and the burning of yard, household or construction debris, once drought and wildfire conditions reach the high to extreme range on the Florida Department of Agriculture's Wildland Fire Danger Index or the Keetch-Byram Drought Index. The Walton Fire Council, an advisory body of the county and municipal fire chiefs, confers with the county's emergency management director and the Florida Forest Service whenever conditions worsen, then recommends activation to the Board of County Commissioners' chair, who signs a resolution that is filed with the Florida Forest Service and automatically renews in seven-day increments until deactivated. The Walton County Sheriff can also declare a stand-alone 'emergency burn ban' in consultation with chief fire officials, capped at seven days, if conditions are urgent enough that the normal process cannot be followed in time.
The ban has three built-in exemptions: firefighter training, burn operations approved by the Florida Forest Service, and cooking food exclusively within a contained gas or charcoal grill. It applies countywide. A ban lifts only after conditions improve for at least seven straight days, confirmed by the Walton Fire Council, followed by a deactivation resolution.
The Walton County Sheriff's Office and Walton County Code Compliance enforce § 10-3. A first violation is a civil citation not exceeding $500.00. Refusing to extinguish a fire that violates an active ban, or any second or later violation, escalates to a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $500.00, up to 60 days in the county jail, or both.
Violations & Fines
A first burn-ban violation draws a civil citation capped at $500.00. Refusing to put the fire out once cited, or a second or later violation, is prosecuted as a second-degree misdemeanor under § 10-3(g), carrying a fine up to $500.00, up to 60 days in the county jail, or both. The section says these penalties are supplemental, so the county can still pursue any other remedy available under state law, federal law or another ordinance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What triggers a burn ban in Walton County?
Can I still use my grill during a Walton County burn ban?
What's the penalty for lighting an open fire during a burn ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Walton County
How Walton County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Walton County to another location·View the Florida fire regulations overview
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