Wildfire Zones

Alabama's State Forestry Commission may declare a drought emergency by regulation under Ala. Code § 9-13-141, making all outdoor burning unlawful in the affected counties. Such…

Alaska designates statewide wildland fire management option zones that determine state response priorities, with the Division of Forestry leading suppression on state-protected lands…

California uniformly classifies and maps Fire Hazard Severity Zones statewide, with mandatory building, disclosure, and defensible space rules tied to zone designations.

Colorado's Wildfire Resiliency Code Board, created by SB23-166 and codified at C.R.S. 24-33.5-1236, adopts minimum statewide wildfire-resiliency building and defensible-space codes…

Connecticut General Statutes 23-49a forbids kindling any open-air fire within one hundred feet of woodland, brushland, or adjacent dried grass when the State Forest Fire Warden…

Delaware makes it a crime to set fire to any forest, wild land, or woodland. Willfully torching another owner's forest carries a $200-$5,000 fine and up to two years in prison under…

The Florida Forest Service has statewide jurisdiction over wildfire prevention and suppression on non-municipal land under Chapter 590, Florida Statutes.

The Georgia Forestry Commission has statewide wildfire suppression authority and may declare burn bans, restrict outdoor activities, and recover suppression costs from negligent…

Hawaii's post-Lahaina fire law directs the State Fire Marshal to establish minimum defensible space requirements statewide and maintain a wildfire hazard map showing hazard zones…

Idaho Department of Lands holds statewide authority over forest and rangeland wildfire protection, may declare emergency burn closures, and assesses landowners protection fees on…

Indiana bans nearly all open burning statewide; IC 13-17-9 carves out narrow exemptions for agricultural and land-clearing vegetation, and every legal fire must be attended…

The state fire marshal may prohibit open burning across any designated area of Iowa during extremely dry conditions that make fire a danger to life or property. Violating an active…

Kansas bans open burning statewide but exempts range, pasture and prairie management fires under K.A.R. 28-19-648, provided the burner notifies the local fire control authority…

Louisiana authorizes and promotes prescribed burning to reduce wildfire fuel loads. Under La. R.S. 3:17, a burn conducted with a certified prescribed burn manager present on site earns…

When wildfire danger climbs, the Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources or the Governor may impose a burning ban under Natural Resources Article 5-720. Once that ban is in effect…

Massachusetts bans any open-air fire statewide unless the local forest warden or fire chief issues a permit good for no more than two days. Violators face a fine up to $500 plus the…

Minnesota DNR designates statewide and regional wildfire restriction zones during elevated fire danger, suspending all burning permits. Restrictions apply uniformly within designated…

The Mississippi Forestry Commission has statewide authority to declare wildfire burn bans, regulate forest fire prevention, and pursue civil and criminal penalties for negligent fires…

When the state fire marshal finds a natural disaster and the U.S. Drought Monitor rates a Missouri county in severe, extreme, or exceptional drought, the county commission may ban open…

Nebraska imposes a statewide open burning ban on bonfires, outdoor rubbish fires, and land-clearing fires under Neb. Rev. Stat. 81-520.01. Only a local fire chief can waive it by…

Nevada Division of Forestry administers wildland-urban interface fire safety under NRS 472 and NRS 527, requiring defensible space around structures in fire hazard zones and…

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service has statewide jurisdiction over wildland fire prevention, declares burn bans, and enforces forest fire districts that supersede conflicting municipal…

New Mexico's State Forestry Division administers wildfire prevention statewide on non-federal lands, designates fire-prone zones, and may impose emergency restrictions overriding…

New York's Environmental Conservation Law Section 9-1105 makes it unlawful to set any open fire burning brush, leaves, grass, or debris in a designated fire town without a written…

North Carolina vests statewide wildfire response and burn ban authority in the Commissioner of Agriculture and the State Forester, whose declared bans override local burn permits.

Ohio Revised Code 1503.18 bans open-air fires outside municipal limits between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. during March, April, May, October, and November: the state's peak spring and fall…

Oklahoma Forestry Services holds statewide authority over wildfire suppression and hazard designation under Title 2 O.S. Sections 16-21 through 16-30. The Director may enter private…

Oregon SB 762 (2021) directs the State Forestry Department to create a statewide wildfire hazard map classifying property risk and triggers defensible space and home hardening rules…

Pennsylvania's Forest Fire Protection Law makes it a crime to set fire to any woodlot, forest, or wild land anywhere in the Commonwealth. Accidental ignition is a misdemeanor…

Rhode Island bans burning flammable material on or adjacent to forest land without a written permit from the Department of Environmental Management director, under RIGL 2-12-6. During…

The South Carolina Forestry Commission has statewide authority to declare wildfire emergencies, issue burn bans, and suppress forest fires. Title 48 designates protected forestland and…

Tennessee Division of Forestry has statewide authority over wildfire prevention, declares hazard seasons, and may issue burn bans during drought conditions affecting all residents.

Utah Code Title 65A, Chapter 8 grants the state forester authority over wildfire prevention statewide, including closed fire season declarations, restricted fire areas, and the…

Vermont's Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation may suspend outdoor burning statewide or regionally during periods of high wildfire danger under 10 V.S.A. ยง 2643. Town wardens…

Virginia lets the Governor, on the State Forester's recommendation, ban all open burning when serious fire hazards exist, and makes anyone whose negligence causes a wildfire liable to…

Washington adopted the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code statewide under RCW 19.27.560, effective July 1, 2023. New construction in designated WUI areas must meet…

West Virginia Code Chapter 20 Article 3 establishes Division of Forestry authority over wildfire protection statewide, imposing strict liability for fire suppression costs and uniform…

Wisconsin DNR designates statewide Fire Protection Areas under Wis. Stat. § 26.11 where the agency holds primary wildfire suppression authority and enforces stricter ignition rules…

Wyoming Statutes §§ 35-9-301 through 35-9-304 let county commissioners close areas outside incorporated towns to open fires during extreme fire danger. Wyoming has no statewide…