Before you light anything outdoors in Coryell County, call the Sheriff’s Office at 254-865-7201 to confirm whether a burn ban is in effect. When the Commissioners Court has one in place, the Coryell County burn ban prohibits all outdoor burning of any substance in the unincorporated areas of the county, and violating it is a Class C misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $500.
How to Check Whether a Ban Is Active Right Now
The quickest and most reliable step is calling the Coryell County Sheriff’s Office at 254-865-7201. The county’s own website directs residents to do exactly that.
Current orders are also posted through the County Clerk’s office at coryellcountyclerk.com, which maintains a page listing orders by year. The main county site at coryellcounty.org posts notices about active restrictions as well. Physical signs along major roads and near county lines show the current status, but they are not always updated the moment conditions change, so a phone call takes the guesswork out of it.
What Is Prohibited When the Ban Is Active
An active ban covers all outdoor burning of all substances in the unincorporated parts of the county. That includes trash, brush piles, fallen limbs, construction debris, and anything else you might normally burn in the open. It does not matter whether the purpose is cleanup, land clearing, or recreation. If it involves an open flame outdoors and you are outside city limits, the order applies to you.
One detail many residents miss: a county burn ban applies only to unincorporated areas. If you live within the city limits of Gatesville or another incorporated municipality, the county order does not directly govern you, though the city may impose its own restrictions. Call before you burn either way.
Exemptions You Can Still Use
Even during an active ban, the county’s orders carve out a few narrow exemptions drawn from state statute and the court order itself.
- Outdoor cooking is allowed as long as the heat source is fully enclosed in equipment designed to contain flames and sparks. A standard backyard grill or smoker with a lid qualifies. An open fire pit used for cooking does not.
- Welding, grinding, and metal cutting may continue if a spotter is present, a working fire extinguisher is on hand, and at least 10 gallons of water are immediately accessible.
- Burning directly tied to planting or harvesting crops is exempt, as authorized by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
- A burn conducted by a certified and insured prescribed burn manager who meets the standards in the Texas Natural Resources Code may proceed.
- Burning related to public utilities, natural gas pipelines, or mining is exempt when authorized by the TCEQ.
- Authorized firefighter training exercises are not restricted by the order.
Everything outside these categories is off-limits. Recreational campfires, bonfires, and open fire pits for warmth do not qualify for any exemption, even on your own property.
Penalties for Burning During a Ban
Knowingly or intentionally burning outdoors during an active ban is a Class C misdemeanor under Texas Local Government Code Section 352.081. The maximum fine is $500. No jail time attaches at this offense class, but it is still a criminal charge rather than a civil ticket, and sheriff’s deputies and fire officials can issue citations on the spot.
The fine is the smaller problem if a fire you start gets away from you. Under general Texas negligence principles, you can be sued for every dollar of property damage the fire causes, from fencing and livestock to structures and crops on a neighbor’s land. Starting a fire during a burn ban is strong evidence of negligence, which makes a civil case very hard to defend. Standard homeowners policies often exclude damage caused by intentional acts or negligence, so insurance may not cover the loss, and fire suppression costs from the responding department can add thousands more.
How Long an Order Lasts
Under Texas law, a burn ban order cannot run longer than 90 days from the date the Commissioners Court adopts it. The court can issue a new order the day the old one expires, however, effectively extending the ban as long as dangerous conditions persist. A ban can also end earlier if the Texas A&M Forest Service determines that drought conditions have lifted, or if the Commissioners Court or its designee (such as the county judge or fire marshal) finds the hazard no longer exists.