Anne Arundel County, MD Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)

Maryland's Department of Natural Resources Forest Service maps fire-hazard risk statewide; Anne Arundel County contains no designated Wildland-Urban Interface hazard zones comparable to western states, though large forested areas — Downs Memorial Park, Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, Patapsco Valley State Park, and parts of Patuxent Research Refuge — can carry wildfire risk in extended drought. Defensible-space clearance is not mandated by county code; vegetation management on private lots is addressed through the grass/weed ordinance (Article 12) and the Forest Conservation Act (Article 17-7), which protects mature forest stands. Open burning is regulated under COMAR 26.11.07 and county Article 11 with burn permits required from the local fire company and the Maryland DNR Forest Service for brush piles; prohibited during air quality action days and when humidity is low. Residential outdoor wood fires in fireplaces or fire pits are allowed under general fire-code limits (see fire-pit-rules) and may be banned temporarily during fire-weather watches issued by the National Weather Service Sterling office. Homeowner insurance in heavily wooded communities (Crownsville, Davidsonville, Gambrills) may request defensible-space measures as a condition of coverage.