← Ohio burn ban rules›Current Fire Restrictions
Ohio Current Fire Restrictions (2026)
Conditional: Ohio's fall open-burning restriction is IN EFFECT now: it began October 1, 2026 and runs through November 30, 2026.
Ohio's fall open-burning restriction is IN EFFECT now: it began October 1, 2026 and runs through November 30, 2026. During October and November — and again March through May — Ohio Revised Code 1503.18 prohibits most open burning in unincorporated areas between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources Open Burning Regulations page); burning in those hours may be permissible only if the conditions in the statute's exclusionary text are met. Ohio has no statewide burn ban beyond this seasonal rule. Year-round Ohio EPA rules still apply — never burn garbage, rubber or petroleum-based materials, or dead animals; no burning during air-pollution alerts; fires may not obscure visibility for roads, tracks or airfields. Local governments and fire departments may impose stricter rules — check locally before burning.
Official source: ohiodnr.gov →
Check the live restriction status: ohiodnr.gov →
General legal information, not legal advice — verify important decisions with a licensed attorney.
Current Fire Restrictions in states bordering Ohio
The same rule in each neighboring state LawLert has verified, from that state’s own official source.
- IndianaConditional
BENTON COUNTY IS UNDER A COUNTYWIDE BURN BAN: on the Indiana Department of Homeland Security's official Burn Ban Map, Benton County Emergency Management reported a Countywide Burn Ban on October 12, 2026 (Benton's entry on the layer last edited October 13, 2026). …
Verified Oct 17, 2026 · Source: services8.arcgis.com · Full Indiana 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 →
- MichiganConditional
Michigan has no statewide burn ban, but open debris burning is NOT PERMITTED ANYWHERE in 6 northern counties today on the DNR's daily Burn Permits map (map data of October 16, 2026): Alger, Alpena, Marquette, Montmorency, Presque Isle and Schoolcraft. …
Verified Oct 17, 2026 · Source: gisp.mcgi.state.mi.us · Full Michigan rule →
- PennsylvaniaInfo
No statewide burn ban (one requires a Governor's proclamation — none active), and the annual state-forest spring restriction (fire rings prohibited Mar 1–May 25) is out of season, though state-forest fires are also barred whenever fire danger is high, very high or extreme. …
Verified Oct 16, 2026 · Source: elibrary.dcnr.pa.gov · Full Pennsylvania rule →
- West VirginiaConditional
West Virginia's fall burning season is IN EFFECT now: it began October 1, 2026 and runs through December 31, 2026, and during it outdoor burning is prohibited during the daytime hours of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and anything lit in the legal 5 p.m.-7 a.m. window must be completely out by 7 a.m. (West Virginia Division of Forestry fire-laws page; the spring season runs March 1-May 31). …
Verified Oct 16, 2026 · Source: wvforestry.com · Full West Virginia rule →
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