Burn Bans in Arkansas
- Apr 24
- 3 min read
We are working on rebuilding a fence and repairing damage on a home, but this project is a little different than most that we have worked on – it caught on fire from a brush fire. The brush fire started from a firepit at a neighbor’s home and then it spread to our customer’s property. The fire burned the fence and some of the house. We are thankful that our customer was not home and was safe from the fire! This could have been a lot worse and was preventable. The neighbor’s insurance company is paying for the claim. In this situation, everyone was safe, and insurance was there to pay for damages. But it could have been a much worse scenario. We thought it would be a good blog topic, so wanted to share some info on burn bans.
Purpose of Burn Bans
The Forestry Department of Arkansas monitors risks of fires. “The Cole-Crutchfield Forest Fire Law, adopted as Act 35 of the 1935 General Assembly, still stands (with amendments) today. The law’s purpose is to “protect the forest of the state” and outlines the potential penalties for individuals convicted of violating it.” Burn bans are put in place to increase safety during periods of dry conditions where fire is more likely to spread. All outdoor burning is banned and is usually prohibited for a 24 hour period at a time. When harsher and dryer conditions occur, there could be a court ordered burn ban for up to 60 days.
Burn Bans vs Red Flag Warnings
In Arkansas, burn bans are enacted by local city and county officials (such as fire marshals, fire department, mayor, and judges) and are in place for safety. In March 2025, 60% of Arkansas counties were under a burn ban. Burn bans prohibit starting fires outdoors because of harsh and dry conditions in the area. Sometimes during a burn ban – there can be extreme wind conditions. In combination with the dry conditions, wind could spread fire even more. When there are adverse weather conditions that could drastically increase the chance of the fire spreading – it is called a Red Flag Warning. A burn ban is a legal ban, but a red flag warning is just a warning about a potentially dangerous set of weather conditions.
Burn bans are posted on local road signs and are also posted on the Arkansas Forestry site:
In Benton County, there are 24-hour and court ordered burn bans (up to 60 days). In Fayetteville, the fire departments issue burn bans based on unusually hazardous atmospheric conditions. In Rogers, approved burns must be put out if wind conditions exceed 10 MPH even without a burn ban in place. Many cities in Arkansas offer burn permits (to burn but not during a burn ban – not all materials, but some can be approved). Jonesboro doesn’t offer permits and doesn’t allow burning unless it is leaves and yard debris. Burning must be 25 feet from property lines and homes and can be no larger than 3 feet in diameter.
When you are going to start your fire pit or burn some leaves, please make sure there are no burn bans in place before starting any fires. During a burn ban, there also may be other restrictions – not just on starting fires in a pit but it could also include grills and other items. And keep in mind that when on federal land, there are restrictions on fires and cooking that must be followed – even without a county or city wide burn ban in effect.
For more information on fencing, check out our fence construction page. For questions on damages or more info about us, please contact us.
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