Van Zandt County is not under a burn ban right now. Outdoor burning in the unincorporated parts of the county is allowed, as long as you follow the state rules that apply year-round. Drought conditions can change that quickly, so confirm the status the day you plan to burn.
How to Confirm the Current Status
The Van Zandt County Fire Marshal’s Office posts the current burn ban status at the top of its page at vanzandtcounty.org.1Van Zandt County Texas. Van Zandt County Fire Marshal’s Office That page also links to the state outdoor burning guidelines you need to follow even when nothing is banned.
If you want to know the moment a ban takes effect, sign up for the county’s Smart911 alerts. The system sends burn ban notifications, severe weather warnings, and other public safety alerts to your phone or email.2Smart911. Van Zandt County Emergency Alert Signup It takes a couple of minutes and spares you from finding out from a deputy.
If You Live Inside City Limits
County burn ban orders apply only to unincorporated areas. Cities within the county, including Canton and Wills Point, can have their own ordinances restricting outdoor burning regardless of what the county has done.3Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Outdoor Burning in Texas RG-049 Check with your city offices if your property sits inside municipal boundaries.
What a Burn Ban Prohibits When One Is in Effect
When the county does activate a ban, you cannot burn anything outdoors in the unincorporated county unless a specific exception applies. The activities that most often draw citations are burning household trash, brush piles, and yard debris. Campfires and recreational fire pits are also off the table. The restriction covers any outdoor burning of combustible material where sparks or embers could escape.
Commissioners can also target specific substances or specific geographic areas inside the county rather than issuing a blanket ban, so the exact scope of any given order can vary.
What Stays Allowed During a Ban
Enclosed cooking equipment is the exception most households care about. A barbecue grill, smoker, or similar device with a lid, sitting above the ground, is fine as long as the enclosure prevents sparks and embers from reaching dry grass or debris. Keep it well away from vegetation and have a hose or extinguisher within reach.
The statute also exempts certified and insured prescribed burns conducted under a written plan,4State of Texas. Texas Natural Resources Code Section 153-047 – Prescribed Burning Standards certain utility and pipeline hot work authorized by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, agricultural burning tied to planting or harvesting, and authorized firefighter training.5State of Texas. Texas Local Government Code Section 352-081 – Regulation of Outdoor Burning
Rules That Apply Even Without a Ban
Outdoor burning in Texas has to follow the TCEQ rules in 30 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 111 whether or not a burn ban is active. Violating these can get you cited on its own.
- You can never burn electrical insulation, treated lumber, plastics, non-wood construction debris, heavy oils, asphaltic materials, explosive materials, chemical wastes, or anything containing rubber.3Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Outdoor Burning in Texas RG-049
- Burning cannot start earlier than one hour after sunrise and must be out at least one hour before sunset on the same day. You have to stay with the fire the whole time it is actively burning.
- Surface wind has to be between 6 and 23 mph. Below or above that range, don’t light up.
- The fire must sit at least 300 feet from any neighboring structure containing people, unless you have written approval from the occupant.
- If smoke drifts across a road, you are responsible for posting flaggers. Smoke that creates a nuisance or hazard for neighbors can trigger enforcement even if everything else was handled correctly.
Authorized burning also has to happen outside city limits unless the municipality has specifically allowed it by ordinance.3Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Outdoor Burning in Texas RG-049 Rural address does not equal a free pass.
Penalties If You Get It Wrong
Knowingly or intentionally violating an active burn ban order is a Class C misdemeanor under Texas law, with a maximum fine of $500 per violation.5State of Texas. Texas Local Government Code Section 352-081 – Regulation of Outdoor Burning It is the same category as a traffic ticket, but it is still a criminal offense on your record. The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office and Fire Marshal investigate smoke complaints and can issue citations on the spot. Anyone harmed by a violation can also go to court for injunctive relief to stop the burning.
The misdemeanor fine is the smallest piece of the risk. If a fire you started escapes and damages someone else’s property, prosecutors can charge arson under Texas Penal Code Section 28.02, which covers intentionally starting a fire that damages vegetation, fences, or structures on open-space land, or recklessly endangering another person’s life or property. Arson is a second-degree felony carrying up to 20 years, and it escalates to a first-degree felony if someone is injured or the target is a home or place of worship.
Civil liability runs alongside any criminal exposure. If you are not using a certified prescribed burn manager, ordinary negligence law applies, and a neighbor whose fence, pasture, or home burns can sue you for the full cost. A lost fence line will cost many times more than any $500 fine.