Burn ban for Sedgwick, Butler and 14 other counties

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Starting Saturday, people in 16 Kansas counties will be under a burn ban for the month of April.

Sedgwick, Butler, and Cowley counties are on the list. So are Chase, Chautauqua, Elk, Geary, Greenwood, Johnson, Lyon, Marion, Morris, Pottawatomie, Riley, Wabaunsee, and Wyandotte.

The April burn ban is part of the Kansas Flint Hills Smoke Management Plan, designed to address concerns that smoke from Flint Hills’ agricultural burning significantly increases ozone levels, specifically in the Wichita and Kansas City areas.

In Sedgwick County, County Fire District 1 will not issue new open burn permits during April, and no current permit holders will be allowed to conduct open burns after March 31. Open burns will have to wait until May 1.

The burn ban includes all open burning of any waste, including vegetation and wood waste, structures or other material on any premises.

Sedgwick County says these types of burns will be allowed with a valid permit:

Pasture

Crop

Range

Wildlife or watershed management

To get a permit, click here or call 316-660-3473.

To get complete details about the Kansas Department of Health and Environment burning regulations, click here.

If the question is specific to Sedgwick County, call the fire marshal at 316-660-3473.