The State Fire Marshal enacted a ban on open burning effective immediately. Fire Departments throughout Dubuque County saw an increase in grass, brush and field fires in the past two weeks that prompted the ban. Many of the fires required a multidepartment response to control and threatened nearby structures. The ban states that no person shall engage in open burning in Dubuque County until the ban is lifted by the Dubuque County Fire Chiefs. The ban will remain in place until such time that we receive adequate precipitation and the risk is no longer present.

Exceptions to the burn ban are the use of outdoor fireplaces, barbeque grills or the burning of trash in incinerators or trash burners made of metal, concrete, or masonry, with no openings greater than one square inch. This also means that the burn barrels need to have a cover over them with no openings greater than one square inch.

A Dubuque County Ordinance is always in effect that states that no person, firm, or corporation shall kindle any building or other structure, farmland, pasture including CRP acres or other rural ground or woodland without first notifying the Dubuque County Emergency Communications Center on the nonemergency number of 563-583-1711. The exceptions to the burn notification ordinance are the same as listed above.

For questions, please contact Emergency Management Coordinator Thomas Berger at 563.589.4170