Sarasota County, FL Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Activation trigger
- KBDI ≥ 500 (Florida Forest Service)
- Deactivation
- 7 straight days KBDI below 500
- Grill exemption
- ≤3 ft diameter, ≤2 ft height
- Fireworks exemption
- Licensed permit holder displays only
- Enforcement
- Fire Chiefs, Marshals, Code Enforcement, police
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county + contract cities
- Last amended
- Ord. No. 2023-063, Oct. 10, 2023
Summary
Sarasota County's Burn Ban Ordinance automatically prohibits all open fires whenever the Florida Forest Service's Keetch-Byram Drought Index for the county meets or exceeds 500. Fire Chiefs, Fire Marshals, Code Enforcement and any law enforcement officer can enforce it once public notice is given. Grills under 3 feet across and 2 feet tall, and permitted fireworks displays, stay exempt while the ban runs.
(5)Fire Hazard Conditions: Those certain drought conditions that automatically activate a burn ban, more specifically when Sarasota County's Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) County Averages map calculation, as published by the Florida Forest Service (or future state office or agency which provides drought information"), meets or exceeds 500 (KBDI mean value). ... (c)Activation of the Burn Ban.(1)A Burn Ban will automatically activate when Fire Hazard Conditions exist. ... (d)Deactivation of the Burn Ban.(1)An active Burn Ban shall be automatically deactivated upon the passing of seven consecutive days in which Fire Hazard Conditions are not present. ... (e)Exemptions.(1)...b.Use of barbeque grills or barbeque pits where the total fuel area does not exceed three feet in diameter and two feet in height.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 98).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 58-2 defines a 'Burn Ban' as 'the automatic prohibition of all open fires during certain drought conditions except for those expressly permitted or exempted by this section or Florida Statute.' Activation is automatic: a ban 'will automatically activate when Fire Hazard Conditions exist,' which the ordinance defines as the county's Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) County Averages, as published by the Florida Forest Service, meeting or exceeding 500. Enforcement begins once the county has publicly noticed the activation. The ban lifts the same way: it 'shall be automatically deactivated upon the passing of seven consecutive days in which Fire Hazard Conditions are not present,' with enforcement ceasing at that point.
Three categories of activity stay legal during a ban: licensed pyrotechnic contractors operating under a County fireworks display permit; barbeque grills or pits with total fuel area no more than three feet in diameter and two feet in height; and anything already exempt under the county's separate Air and Water Quality Open Burning Ordinance at Sec. 54-116. The ban reaches every unincorporated area of the county, any municipality that buys fire service from the county under contract, and any other municipality's corporate limits to the extent its own ordinance does not conflict.
Fire Chiefs, Fire Marshals, the Code Enforcement Division, and any law enforcement officer are all empowered to enforce Sec. 58-2. The ordinance was last amended by Ord. No. 2023-063, § 3, adopted October 10, 2023.
Violations & Fines
A burn-related violation that causes a fire the county responds to is treated as 'irreparable and irreversible' under Chapter 2, Article VIII of the county code, its most serious enforcement track. Cases run through the Sarasota County Code Enforcement Special Magistrate process under that chapter, though the ordinance says its remedies are supplemental, so the county can also pursue any other enforcement means statutory or common law otherwise allows.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Sarasota County decide when to issue a burn ban?
Can I still grill outside during a Sarasota County burn ban?
When does a Sarasota County burn ban end?
Who enforces the Sarasota County burn ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sarasota County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Sarasota County to another location·View the Florida fire regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.