County commissioners consider control burn restrictions
May 18, 2025
Concerns over the rigidity of current Reno County burn regulations were brought before the commission during the regular meeting, with one commissioner sharing examples of constituents being denied burn permits even in seemingly safe conditions or receiving incorrect information from authorities.
Current requirements for controlled burns are:
Obtaining a Burn Permit from the permitting portal.
Call 620-694-2800 at least 30 minutes before starting to burn (you must have a completed permit ready).
No burn ban is in effect.
The wind speed (including gusts) is less than 15 mph (for non-agricultural burns only).
The Grassland Fire Danger Index is not Very High or Extreme.
A fire break of at least 20 feet is provided on all sides of the field to be burned.
Clearance of 100 feet from all structures is maintained.
The burn shall be supervised by a responsible adult until the threat of fire is diminished.
Initiation of a burn is not allowed earlier than one hour before sunrise or two hours prior to sunset.
Follow all instructions and restrictions on the Burn Permit.
The discussion touched on the difficulty of finding a 72-hour window with little to no wind in Kansas, a current requirement that was described as "unreasonable."
These guidelines cover open burning and agricultural open burning. Open burning includes brush, trash, and debris piles, as well as vegetation residue and dried plant growth collected and piled. Agricultural open burning is the burning of cultivated crop residue, pasture, CRP, and other similar types of materials. Fires such as those conducted in a fireproof container with ember restricting cover, fire pits, warming fires, camp fires, or other recreational fires are exempt from these guidelines.
While no immediate action was taken, the issue was raised for further thought among the commissioners to explore if a more "common sense" approach could be integrated into the policy, potentially through better training or revised guidelines, to address situations where burning could be done safely despite strict interpretations of the rules.
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