Outdoor Burning Guidelines

Check with Travis County Emergency Services District No. 12 before starting any burns.
A permit is required, go to www.tcesd12permits.com to register and apply for a permit. An inspection of the site by a TCESD12 Inspector is required prior to issuing the permit. The permit must be activated EACH day you plan to burn BEFORE beginning the outdoor burn. Call (512) 969-6136 to activate your permit.

***You can NOT burn on Red Flag Warning days or Ozone Action days***

  • The Outdoor Burning Rule, Title 30, Texas Administrative Code, first prohibits outdoor burning anywhere in Texas and then allows exemptions for specific situations in which burning is necessary or does not pose a threat to the environment. 
  • Texas Criminal Statues specify penalties that pertain to escaped control fires and wildland fires that were deliberately set. Persons responsible for escaped control or arson wildfires may also be faced with civil suits for damages caused by these fires. 

Burning will only be allowed under the following conditions: 

  1. Only when wind direction and other weather conditions are such that the smoke and other pollutants will not present a hazard to any public road, landing strip, or navigable waterway, or have an adverse effect on any off-site structure containing “sensitive receptors” (i.e., a residence, business, farm building, livestock, or greenhouse).
  2. Predicted winds between 6 mph to 15 mph with predicted gusts of less than 23 mph.
  3. Predicted humidity of 35% or greater.
  4. Natural materials only (i.e., trees, limbs, brush, leaves, grass). No materials brought in from off-site may be burned, only materials from the land the burn will be on are allowed.
  5.  Piles limited to 10’ x 10’ surface burning. 
  6. Water or an approved method to control the fire must be on site (water hose, bulldozer, bobcat, etc.).
  7. Fires must be attended to AT ALL TIMES by a competent adult. 
  8. Person attending a fire shall have a way to call 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency, at all times.
  9. Shall not be started until one (1) hour after sunrise. 
  10. Shall be extinguished no later than one (1) hour before sunset and not producing smoke. 
  11. Shall be 50 feet or greater from any structures. 11. Shall be 100 feet or greater from any property line unless otherwise approved by the fire code official. 
  12. Shall be 300 feet or greater from any “sensitive receptors”. 
  13. An area of at least 10 feet shall be cleared around the burn pile. 
  14. You can not burn within any City Limits (Manor, Austin). 
  15. All controlled burns are subject to a no-notice inspection and any permit may be revoked at any time for violating the above guidelines, or if the fire becomes a public safety concern or nuisance to the public.