Texas · Burn Bans

Before

Texas has no statewide burn ban; outdoor burning bans are declared county-by-county by each commissioners' court, and the statute reaches only the county's unincorporated area. As of the Texas A&M Forest Service's official list generated August 19, 2026, 170 of Texas's 254 counties have an active burn ban — nearly double the midsummer figure — now covering much of the Panhandle, West Texas, North Central Texas, East Texas and the Rio Grande Valley, including Dallas, Tarrant, Denton, Travis, Hays, El Paso, Potter, Randall, Smith and Cameron counties. A commissioners' court may adopt a ban when drought conditions exist or it finds a public-safety hazard; an order may not run beyond 90 days from adoption but may be renewed. Where a county ban is in effect most outdoor burning is illegal — a Class C misdemeanor under Local Government Code 352.081, fine up to $500 — and fireworks use is commonly restricted too. Exempt are TCEQ-authorised burns for firefighter training, public utility, natural gas pipeline or mining operations, planting or harvesting of agricultural crops, and burns conducted by a certified and insured prescribed burn manager. Bans change daily — check the Texas A&M Forest Service county burn-ban map for your county before burning.

Now

Texas has no statewide burn ban; outdoor burning bans are declared county-by-county by each commissioners' court, and the statute reaches only the county's unincorporated area. As of the Texas A&M Forest Service's official list generated September 10, 2026, 209 of Texas's 254 counties have an active burn ban — 82 percent of the state — now covering much of the Panhandle, West Texas, North Central Texas, Central Texas, East Texas and the Rio Grande Valley, including Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, Denton, Travis, Williamson, Bell, McLennan, Fort Bend, Galveston, Nueces, Hidalgo, Webb, El Paso, Potter, Randall, Smith, Hays and Comal counties. Harris (Houston), Bexar (San Antonio), Montgomery, Lubbock, Brazoria, Jefferson and Cameron counties were NOT on that list, so check your own county rather than assuming your metro is covered. A commissioners' court may adopt a ban when drought conditions exist or it finds a public-safety hazard; an order may not run beyond 90 days from adoption but may be renewed. Where a county ban is in effect most outdoor burning is illegal — a Class C misdemeanor under Local Government Code 352.081, fine up to $500 — and fireworks use is commonly restricted too. Exempt are TCEQ-authorised burns for firefighter training, public utility, natural gas pipeline or mining operations, planting or harvesting of agricultural crops, and burns conducted by a certified and insured prescribed burn manager. Bans change daily — check the Texas A&M Forest Service county burn-ban map for your county before burning.