Will County, IL Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)

Unlike western states, Will County and the broader Chicago metro region have no CAL FIRE-equivalent wildfire hazard severity zone mapping, no defensible space requirements, and no WUI (Wildland-Urban Interface) building code overlay. Illinois is not identified in federal USDA/USFS Fire Regime data as a significant wildfire risk area; tornado, flooding (Des Plaines/DuPage River basins), and winter storms are the county's primary natural hazards. Property owners in Joliet, Bolingbrook, Plainfield, Lockport, and unincorporated Will County are NOT required to maintain 30-foot lean zones or 100-foot fuel reduction buffers. Fire-resistant roofing is not mandated beyond standard Class A/B/C requirements in the 2021 International Building Code adopted by Will County. Grassland fires near forest preserves (Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Des Plaines Conservation Area) are managed by the Forest Preserve District of Will County and IDNR through prescribed burns, not private defensible space. Open burning is governed by 415 ILCS 5/9 (Illinois Environmental Protection Act) and local fire code — Joliet prohibits landscape waste burning under Chapter 9, Bolingbrook restricts burning to permitted recreational fires, Plainfield requires burn permits during drought. Residents concerned about grass/brush fire risk should follow NFPA 1144 voluntarily but have no legal obligation.