← Missouri burn ban rules›Current Fire Restrictions
Missouri Current Fire Restrictions (2026)
Conditional: Missouri has no statewide burn ban, but county burn bans ARE in effect in southwest Missouri.
Missouri has no statewide burn ban, but county burn bans ARE in effect in southwest Missouri. The State Fire Marshal's county burn-ban spreadsheet (the file linked from the official County Burn Bans page, dated September 16, 2026 and still the only file the page links) lists 3 counties with a ban enacted and in place until further notice: Lawrence (enacted September 11, 2026), Ozark (enacted September 10, 2026) and Newton (enacted September 3, 2026). McDonald County's 30-day ban, enacted August 27, 2026, was listed to run through September 26, 2026 and "may be extended or rescinded at any time"; the file has not been updated since, so LawLert cannot confirm whether it was extended - check with McDonald County before burning. The same file lists requests still pending with no ban recorded for Carter, Dade, Ripley, Barry, Howell, Vernon, Oregon and Christian counties and the city of Pierce City, and lists Cedar, Jasper, Wright and Shannon counties with only a June 16, 2026 note and no ban dates - treat all of these as possibly restricted and confirm locally. Bans are issued locally - a county commission, municipality, or tax-supported fire protection district may enact one (RSMo 49.266), and for a county ban the State Fire Marshal must first determine it is appropriate and the U.S. Drought Monitor must show the county in severe, extreme, or exceptional drought; violating a county ban can carry a penalty up to a Class A misdemeanor. Two carve-outs: agricultural burning using best management practices and state fire-management activities are never subject to a county ban, and a ban cannot stop fireworks SALES - it may prohibit igniting missiles and skyrockets but not other consumer fireworks (RSMo 320.106). The state list can lag; confirm with your county, city, or fire protection district before any outdoor burning.
Official source: dfs.dps.mo.gov →
Check the live restriction status: dfs.dps.mo.gov →
General legal information, not legal advice — verify important decisions with a licensed attorney.
Current Fire Restrictions in states bordering Missouri
The same rule in each neighboring state LawLert has verified, from that state’s own official source.
- ArkansasConditional
49 of Arkansas's 75 counties are under a county burn ban: Arkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Clark, Cleburne, Cleveland, Columbia, Conway, Cross, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Faulkner, Garland, Grant, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Howard, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Lincoln, Little River, Lonoke, Miller, Monroe, Montgomery, Nevada, Ouachita, Perry, Phillips, Pike, Poinsett, Polk, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, Saint Francis, Saline, Scott, Sevier, Union, Van Buren, White, Woodruff and Yell. …
Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Source: mip.agri.arkansas.gov · Full Arkansas rule →
- IllinoisInfo
Illinois has no statewide burn-ban system — restrictions are local. …
Verified Oct 16, 2026 · Source: epa.illinois.gov · Full Illinois rule →
- IowaInfo
Iowa has no statewide burn ban, and no county had one in force on the State Fire Marshal's own map. …
Verified Oct 17, 2026 · Source: services.arcgis.com · Full Iowa rule →
- KansasConditional
Kansas has no statewide emergency burn ban, but open burning is prohibited by default statewide under K.A.R. 28-19-645: "a person shall not cause or permit the open burning of any wastes, structures, vegetation, or any other materials on any premises" except as authorized by K.A.R. 28-19-647 (advance approval plus notifying the local fire-control authority) and 28-19-648 (agricultural, range-management and recreational exemptions) (KDHE's published air-quality regulations). …
Verified Oct 16, 2026 · Source: ksfire.org · Full Kansas rule →
- KentuckyConditional
Kentucky's fall forest fire hazard season is IN EFFECT now: it began on Thursday, October 1, 2026 and runs through December 15, 2026: during it, burning between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. within 150 feet of any woodland or brushland is illegal (Division of Forestry; the spring season runs February 15 through April 30). …
Verified Oct 17, 2026 · Source: eec.ky.gov · Full Kentucky rule →
- NebraskaInfo
Nebraska's baseline law (Neb. Rev. Stat. §81-520.01) is a statewide open-burning ban on bonfires, outdoor rubbish fires and land-clearing fires — waived only by a burn permit from your local fire chief (the State Fire Marshal's burn-permit page). …
Verified Oct 17, 2026 · Source: govdocs.nebraska.gov · Full Nebraska rule →
- OklahomaConditional
No statewide Governor's burn ban is in effect. …
Verified Oct 17, 2026 · Source: services3.arcgis.com · Full Oklahoma rule →
- TennesseeInfo
No active burn bans in Tennessee — the Division of Forestry's burn-ban page states "Currently, there are no active burn bans in the State of Tennessee". …
Verified Oct 17, 2026 · Source: tn.gov · Full Tennessee rule →
We watch the official sources behind Missouri burn bans rules. If a tracked rule changes, you get one short email — never more than one a week. Free, unsubscribe anytime.