Springdale, AR Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)

Unlike California (Government Code Section 51178 and CCR Title 14 Sections 1280.00 et seq.), Oregon, Washington, or other western states, Arkansas does not impose statewide Wildfire Hazard Severity Zone (WHSZ) mapping or formal defensible-space requirements. The Arkansas Fire Prevention Code 2021 (the state's adoption of the 2021 IFC) does not include Chapter 49 (Requirements for Wildland-Urban Interface Areas), and Arkansas has not adopted the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC). Springdale's local fire ordinance (Chapter 46) does not add a wildland-urban interface overlay either, and the Springdale Unified Development Code contains no Hillside or Very High Fire Hazard overlay. The USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities tool rates both Washington County and Benton County overall wildfire risk as low-to-moderate. The nearby Ozark National Forest, managed by the USDA Forest Service Southern Region, conducts prescribed burns and has active wildfire programs, but those are federal lands outside the City of Springdale. Arkansas Department of Agriculture - Forestry Division operates the Arkansas Firewise USA Program, a voluntary community-recognition program rather than a regulatory zone. Property owners in Springdale should still observe the city's 8-inch grass-height limit, the burn-permit requirement, the 15-mph wind cutoff for recreational fires, and seasonal Arkansas Forestry burn restrictions during the spring and fall fire seasons. Washington County has issued countywide burn bans more often than most Arkansas counties in recent years, including the December 2025 ban that drew statewide attention. New construction in Springdale is permitted under the 2021 Arkansas Fire Prevention Code (which adopts the 2021 IBC and IRC) with no wildfire-specific overlays.