South Dakota · Burn Bans

Before

South Dakota has no statewide burn ban, and by law it cannot have one: under SDCL 34A-1-18 a general prohibition on open burning is set by each municipality, or by the county outside municipal boundaries, and the state board may not adopt a rule generally prohibiting all open burning. Public-land restrictions are a different matter and several are in force. BLM SOUTH DAKOTA HAS BEEN AT STAGE 2 since July 15, 2026, "until rescinded", on all BLM land in Butte, Custer, Fall River, Haakon, Harding, Lawrence, Meade, Pennington, Perkins, Stanley and Ziebach counties: no building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire at all; no smoking except in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or a cleared area at least 3 feet across; no motorized vehicles off designated roads and trails; no explosives; and between 1 p.m. and 1 a.m. no internal-combustion engines or welding or open-flame torches. BLM's South Dakota Fire Restrictions page still lists this South Dakota Field Office Stage 2 order, and no rescission has been published. BLACK HILLS NATIONAL FOREST: the Stage 2 order that covered the South Dakota districts, BKF-194-2026, was SUPERSEDED at 12:00 p.m. on September 24, 2026 by Order BKF-198-2026, which by its own terms applies to the Bearlodge and Hell Canyon Ranger Districts in the State of Wyoming and runs to 12:00 p.m. on December 15, 2026. The forest's alerts page carries NO Stage 2 order for the Northern Hills or Mystic Ranger Districts. What remains posted on the South Dakota side is Order BKF-182-2024, in effect from November 16, 2024 through December 31, 2029: inside the Black Hills Forest Fire Protection District, no fire or campfire unless it is in an established fireplace approved or constructed by a public agency in a designated recreation area, though an enclosed stove or grill, a portable brazier or a pressurized liquid-gas stove is allowed. A Stage 2 order can be reissued for the South Dakota districts at any time, so confirm with the forest before lighting anything. The forest rates fire danger Extreme in the Central and Southern Hills and Very High in the Northern Hills. State burn permits for the Black Hills Forest Fire Protection District are issued only November 1 through March 31 and only for slash piles on continuous snow cover. South Dakota publishes no statewide list of county burn bans; the state's own advice is to check your county state's attorney or city attorney before burning. Restrictions are set unit by unit; check your county and forest before you burn.

Now

South Dakota has no statewide burn ban, and by law it cannot have one: under SDCL 34A-1-18 a general prohibition on open burning is set by each municipality, or by the county outside municipal boundaries, and the state board may not adopt a rule generally prohibiting all open burning. Public-land restrictions are a different matter and several are in force. BLM SOUTH DAKOTA EASED FROM STAGE 2 TO STAGE 1 ON OCTOBER 1, 2026: Fire Prevention Order LLMTC040-26-02, in effect from 12:01 a.m. on October 1, 2026 until rescinded, covers all BLM land in Butte, Custer, Fall River, Haakon, Lawrence, Meade, Pennington, Perkins, Stanley and Ziebach counties (Harding County is not named in this order). It prohibits building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire except within a developed recreation site, and smoking except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or a cleared area at least 3 feet across. A device fueled solely by liquid petroleum or LPG that can be turned on and off is exempt when used in an area cleared of flammable material within 3 feet of it. A violation can bring a fine of up to $100,000 and up to 12 months in prison. BLACK HILLS NATIONAL FOREST: the Stage 2 order that covered the South Dakota districts, BKF-194-2026, was SUPERSEDED at 12:00 p.m. on September 24, 2026 by Order BKF-198-2026, which applies to the Bearlodge and Hell Canyon Ranger Districts in the State of Wyoming. The forest's alerts page carries NO Stage 2 order for the Northern Hills or Mystic Ranger Districts. What remains posted on the South Dakota side is Order BKF-182-2024, in effect from November 16, 2024 through December 31, 2029: inside the Black Hills Forest Fire Protection District, no fire or campfire unless it is in an established fireplace approved or constructed by a public agency in a designated recreation area, though an enclosed stove or grill, a portable brazier or a pressurized liquid-gas stove is allowed. A Stage 2 order can be reissued for the South Dakota districts at any time, so confirm with the forest before lighting anything. The forest rates fire danger High in the Northern, Central and Southern Hills. State burn permits for the Black Hills Forest Fire Protection District are issued only November 1 through March 31 and only for slash piles on continuous snow cover. South Dakota publishes no statewide list of county burn bans; the state's own advice is to check your county state's attorney or city attorney before burning. Restrictions are set unit by unit; check your county and forest before you burn.