Burn Bans

North Dakota has no permanent statewide burn ban, but most of the state is covered. Re-read September 30, 2026 from the state's own burn-restriction layer (NDDES WebEOC declarations), 63 Fire Emergency Declarations are in force: 44 of North Dakota's 53 counties, 17 federal-agency units and 2 tribal governments (Spirit Lake and Turtle Mountain). BENSON COUNTY HAS COME OFF: its 30-day fire restriction, effective August 18, 2026, has lapsed and the county's layer entry was updated September 19, 2026. The nine counties with NO county declaration are Barnes, Benson, Grand Forks, Griggs, LaMoure, Ransom, Richland, Towner and Walsh. A declaration is what makes a local burn restriction enforceable under N.D.C.C. 37-17.1-10, and what it bars on a given day varies by county: some impose a flat ban, others tie the restriction to the state Fire Danger Rating so it switches on and off automatically. BOWMAN COUNTY replaced its fire-danger-linked restriction with a TOTAL burn restriction beginning September 15, 2026 (county commission resolution, posted to the layer September 22, 2026). CITY CARVE-OUTS MATTER — most declarations cover the county's incorporated cities, but several exclude cities that run their own ordinances: Burleigh County excludes Bismarck, Lincoln, Regan, Wilton and Wing; Morton County excludes Mandan, Glen Ullin, Hebron and Flasher; Pierce County excludes Rugby, Balta and Wolford; and Foster County excludes Carrington. Federal orders run independently of any county; the layer lists active declarations for BLM land in 13 counties and for the Cedar River, Little Missouri (McKenzie and Medora districts) and Sheyenne National Grasslands. As issued this summer, the Sheyenne Ranger District order (Forest Order 01-18-00-26-06) took effect July 29, 2026 through December 31 on all National Forest System land in Ransom and Richland Counties — no campfires or stove fires, and no smoking except in a cleared area or inside a vehicle; the Cedar River and Grand River National Grasslands are under Order 01-18-00-26-05 (effective July 24, 2026 at 12:00 p.m., also through December 31); and on the Little Missouri National Grassland (Order 01-18-00-26-02) campfires, smoking outside a safe area and driving on Prairie Two Track roads are prohibited automatically, county by county, whenever fire danger is High or above or a Red Flag Warning is in effect. HOW CURRENT THIS IS: each declaration is self-reported by its own jurisdiction and carries its own edit date, and those range from May 11, 2026 to September 22, 2026 — a ban lifted locally since then may not have reached the state layer yet. Restrictions are set county by county; check the ND burn restriction map and your county before burning.