Rock County is not in a designated wildfire hazard zone and Wisconsin has no defensible-space law, but the DNR sets daily fire-danger ratings and burn restrictions. Southern Wisconsin grasslands can reach very high fire danger in spring, when burn permits are suspended.
Wisconsin does not designate statutory wildfire zones the way western states do, and there is no state brush-clearance mandate for homeowners. Instead the DNR runs a statewide fire-danger and burn-restriction system: daily ratings (low to very high/extreme) determine whether DNR burning permits are valid. Rock County sits in southern Wisconsin's grassland-and-cropland landscape, where spring conditions before green-up regularly push fire danger to 'very high,' and homes adjacent to grassland create wildland-urban-interface risk. Residents should check the WisBURN dashboard or call 1-888-WIS-BURN before any outdoor burning, since permits are automatically suspended on high-danger days.
Burning while permits are suspended or restrictions are in effect is a DNR forfeiture, plus full liability for suppression costs if a fire escapes.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Rock County, WI
Wisconsin's cruelty statute (Ch. 951) makes it illegal to keep animals without proper food, water, and shelter, which is how hoarding is enforced. Rock Count...
Rock County, WI
Rock County has no blanket countywide wildlife-feeding ban, but deer and elk feeding is regulated statewide, and nuisance-feeding of wild animals is addresse...
Rock County, WI
Rock County encourages waste reduction and does not ban backyard composting. Wisconsin bans yard waste from landfills, so composting is favored. Nuisance con...
Rock County, WI
Rock County has no countywide ordinance regulating artificial turf. Whether synthetic grass is allowed, and any coverage or stormwater conditions, is decided...
Rock County, WI
Rock County does not ban native or naturalized landscaping, but the mandatory noxious-weed duty still applies. Near navigable water, native shoreland buffers...
Rock County, WI
Collecting rainwater is legal in Wisconsin and Rock County sets no barrier to rain barrels. There is no state permit for a basic downspout rain barrel used f...
See how Rock County's wildfire zones rules stack up against other locations.
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