What changed · September 29, 2026
Kentucky · Burn Bans
current restrictions
Details updated — status unchanged
What changed
- wasMay 1, 2026
- wasSep 30, 2026
- was6
- was8
- nowSep 17, 2026
- nowSep 29, 2026
- nowOct 1, 2026
- now5
Before
Burn bans are in effect in 6 Kentucky counties: the Division of Forestry's official County Burn Bans page lists Allen, Barren, Logan, Ohio, Simpson and Todd and no others; Edmonson County, listed earlier this month, has come off (read September 17, 2026). The statewide forest fire hazard seasons — when burning within 150 ft of woodland is banned 6 a.m.–6 p.m. — run Feb 15–Apr 30 and Oct 1–Dec 15, so neither applies now; the fall season opens Oct 1, 2026. County judge-executives can issue local bans at any time under KRS 149.401 and the Division "isn't always notified when a burn ban is issued," so its list may be incomplete; a ban generally prohibits debris burning, campfires, bonfires, open-pit cooking and charcoal grilling (violation is a misdemeanor) — confirm with your county judge-executive's office or local fire department before burning. Year-round air-quality rules still limit what may be burned (natural vegetation only; burning garbage or waste is prohibited).
Now
Burn bans are in effect in 5 Kentucky counties: the Division of Forestry's official County Burn Bans page lists Barren, Logan, Ohio, Simpson and Todd and no others; Allen County, listed on September 17, 2026, has come off (read September 29, 2026). The statewide forest fire hazard seasons — when burning within 150 ft of woodland is banned 6 a.m.–6 p.m. — run February 15–April 30 and October 1–December 15, so neither applies today; the fall season opens October 1, 2026. County judge-executives can issue local bans at any time under KRS 149.401 and the Division "isn't always notified when a burn ban is issued," so its list may be incomplete; a ban generally prohibits debris burning, campfires, bonfires, open-pit cooking and charcoal grilling (violation is a misdemeanor) — restrictions are set county by county, so confirm with your county judge-executive's office or local fire department before burning. Year-round air-quality rules still limit what may be burned (natural vegetation only; burning garbage or waste is prohibited).
The rule today
Kentucky's fall forest fire hazard season STARTS 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, re-read September 30, 2026; the spring season runs February 15 through April 30). County burn bans are also in effect in 5 Kentucky counties: the Division of Forestry's official County Burn Bans page lists Barren, Logan, Ohio, Simpson and Todd and no others (re-read September 30, 2026). County judge-executives can issue local bans at any time under KRS 149.401 and the Division "isn't always notified when a burn ban is issued," so its list may be incomplete; a ban generally prohibits debris burning, campfires, bonfires, warming fires, open-pit cooking and charcoal grilling (violation is a misdemeanor) — restrictions are set county by county, so confirm with your county judge-executive's office or local fire department before burning. Year-round air-quality rules still limit what may be burned (natural vegetation only; burning garbage or waste is prohibited).
✓ Verified against the official source · October 1, 2026 · Official source ↗
We watch the official sources behind Kentucky burn bans rules. If a tracked rule changes, you get one short email — never more than one a week. Free, unsubscribe anytime.
A “change” is a verified status flip on a tracked rule, or a substantive edit to the rule’s terms — a changed fee, limit, permit or date — shown as “Details updated”. General legal information from official sources — not legal advice; always confirm with the official source linked above.