Can You Burn Brush Piles After Land Clearing in Kentucky?
Usually yes, with limits on where, when and what goes on the pile. Here is what Kentucky's rules say, in plain words, and who to call before you light anything.
The short answer
Kentucky's open burning rule, which is run by the Division for Air Quality, generally lets you burn natural growth from land clearing on the site where it grew. That means the trees, brush and vines that came off your ground, burned on that same ground. It does not mean taking brush to another property to burn, and it does not cover anything that is not plant material. Local governments can be stricter than the state, and fire season rules from the Division of Forestry sit on top of the air rule. So the honest answer is: usually yes, after a couple of phone calls.
Fire hazard seasons: the 6 to 6 rule
Kentucky has two fire hazard seasons each year: February 15 through April 30, and October 1 through December 15. During those dates state law bars burning within 150 feet of any woodland or brushland between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. In practice, a pile that close to the woods can only be burning in the evening and overnight hours, when the wind usually lies down and the air is damper. Most land that has just been cleared has woods or brush on at least one side, so this rule touches nearly every clearing job done in spring or fall.
What can never go on the pile
The state rule is clear that some things are never legal to burn in the open. Buildings and demolition or construction debris are on that list, along with tires, plastic and painted or treated wood. So the old shed, the fallen barn, treated fence posts and the pile of shingles do not go in with the brush. If a clearing job turns up an old house or outbuilding, that is demolition work, and the debris has to leave the site properly. Keep the brush pile clean and it stays the kind of pile the rule allows.
County burn bans and city rules
The state rules are the floor, not the ceiling. In a dry spell, a county can put a burn ban in place that stops outdoor burning until it is lifted, no matter the date or the hour. Cities often have their own ordinances, and some do not allow open burning inside the city limits at all. The state also has extra open burning limits from May through September in eight counties: Boone, Boyd, Bullitt, Campbell, Jefferson, Kenton, Lawrence and Oldham. Check before every burn, because a ban can start overnight.
Who to check with before you burn
Three calls cover it. The Kentucky Division of Forestry can tell you about fire hazard season rules and current fire danger. The Kentucky Division for Air Quality answers questions about what may be burned under the open burning rule. And your local fire department knows whether a county burn ban or a city ordinance applies at your address, and likes to know about a big pile before the neighbors report smoke. None of these calls takes long, and each one is quicker than explaining yourself afterward.
Setting up a pile that burns clean
A pile burns well when it is tight, dry and free of dirt. Stumps and root balls packed with clay smolder for days, so they are better shaken clean, set to the side or buried. Put the pile in the open, well away from the woods line, buildings, fences and overhead power lines, with bare dirt around it. Burn on a calm day, keep water and a shovel or tractor handy, and stay with the fire until it is out cold. These are common sense steps, not a substitute for the rules above.
If you can't burn, or don't want to
Burning is not the only way to deal with clearing debris. Good logs can be cut for firewood. Brush can be piled in an out-of-the-way spot and left for wildlife cover, where it will settle and rot over time. Stumps and roots can sometimes be buried on the property, away from any building site, since buried wood settles as it rots. Or the material can be taken off the land. Each choice changes the work, so talk it through with Trey when he looks at the job. Our land clearing cost guide explains how that affects the price.
What Trey handles and what the owner handles
On a Pistol Ridge land clearing job, Trey takes down the trees and brush, pulls the stumps and stacks the material in piles, placed with the burning rules in mind: in the open and away from the woods where the lot allows. Whether, when and how the piles are burned is the landowner's decision and responsibility, including checking the rules and any burn ban on the day. If you would rather not burn at all, tell Trey when he looks at the job, and talk through what happens to the material instead.
What to do next
Rules change and burn bans come and go, so confirm with the Kentucky Division of Forestry, the Division for Air Quality and your local fire department before you light a pile. If you have ground that needs clearing in central Kentucky, call (270) 272-8739 or send the form, and Trey will come look at it and give you a straight quote.
See our land clearing service or call (270) 272-8739.
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