Medina County Burn Ban: Rules, Exemptions, and Penalties

As of May 4, 2026, the Medina County burn ban has been lifted, but residents are still required to notify the Medina County Sheriff’s Office before conducting any controlled outdoor burn.¹ The status can change quickly. Under Texas Local Government Code 352.081, the Commissioners Court can impose or lift outdoor burning restrictions whenever drought conditions or other public safety hazards warrant it, so always confirm the current order before you light anything.²

How to Confirm the Current Status

Two sources will tell you whether a ban is active today. The Medina County Emergency Management page posts the current burn ban status along with any county orders in effect.¹ The Texas A&M Forest Service maintains a statewide burn ban map that is updated as counties adopt or lift orders.³

For a direct answer, call the Medina County Sheriff’s Office at (830) 741-6153.⁴ You should call that number anyway before any planned burn, even on days without a ban.

What the Ban Prohibits When Active

When a burn ban is in effect, outdoor burning in the unincorporated areas of Medina County is either prohibited outright or restricted to specific substances, depending on the language the Commissioners Court adopts in the order.² A strict order typically bans burning household trash, yard clippings, brush piles, and construction debris. Any open flame not fully contained inside a permanent structure or a device designed to arrest sparks falls under the prohibition.

Two limits are worth knowing. The ban applies only to the unincorporated county. If you live inside Hondo, Castroville, or another incorporated city, that city’s own fire ordinances govern, though cities often adopt their own restrictions in the same dry stretches. And a single order cannot last more than 90 days, though the Commissioners Court can adopt a new order the moment the old one expires.² A rolling renewal can keep a ban in place through an entire dry season.

Exemptions During a Burn Ban

The statute leaves a few activities legal even under an active ban, but each requires authorization or professional oversight.

Firefighter training burns, when authorized by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.²
Public utility, natural gas pipeline, and mining operations conducting necessary burns for public health and safety, when authorized by TCEQ.⁵
Burning related to planting or harvesting crops, when authorized by TCEQ.²
Burns conducted by a certified prescribed burn manager who holds the certification required under Texas Natural Resources Code 153.048, carries the required insurance, and meets the safety standards in Natural Resources Code 153.047.⁵

The statute does not include a blanket exemption for outdoor cooking. Whether grills and smokers are allowed during a particular ban depends on the language of the specific order. Many Texas county orders permit cooking fires in fully enclosed devices, but read the current Medina County order or call the Sheriff’s Office before you fire up the pit during an active ban.

Fireworks Are a Separate Order

Burn bans and fireworks restrictions operate under separate statutes. Texas Local Government Code 352.051 gives the Commissioners Court independent authority to restrict the sale and use of certain fireworks in unincorporated areas during drought, specifically skyrockets with sticks and missiles with fins. When Medina County has an active burn ban going into a holiday window such as the Fourth of July, expect a companion fireworks restriction to be in place. Using prohibited fireworks under an active restriction is a separate offense from violating the burn ban.

Penalties for Violating the Ban

Knowingly or intentionally violating a Medina County burn ban order is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500.² The fine applies per occurrence, so fires on different days can each draw a separate citation.

That $500 is the floor, not the ceiling. If your fire escapes and damages a neighbor’s property, fencing, livestock, or structures, you face civil liability for those losses on top of the criminal fine. Texas courts allow property owners to sue for damages caused by negligent fire management, and setting the fire during an active ban makes the negligence argument straightforward for the plaintiff. The statute also lets any person seek an injunction to prevent a violation or threatened violation of a burn ban order.²

If a fire you set causes serious property damage or endangers lives, you may face charges beyond the Class C misdemeanor, including arson or reckless damage to property under the Texas Penal Code. Those offenses carry jail or prison time depending on the extent of damage. People charged with those offenses rarely meant to burn down a neighbor’s barn, but intent to start the original fire is what the state has to prove.

How to Report an Illegal Burn

Match the response to the threat. A fire actively spreading or threatening structures is a 911 call. For a contained but illegal burn that is not an immediate emergency, call the Medina County Sheriff’s Office at (830) 741-6153.⁴ The Fire Marshal and county peace officers have authority to issue citations and can investigate visible smoke or flames reported by residents.

Describe the location as specifically as you can. Rural Medina County covers a lot of ground, and road names, intersections, and property landmarks help responders find the site quickly.

1
Medina County. Emergency Management – Fire Marshal
2
State of Texas. Texas Local Government Code 352.081 – Regulation of Outdoor Burning
3
Texas A&M Forest Service. Burn Bans and Information
4
Medina County. Homepage
5
Texas A&M Forest Service. Texas Local Government Code 352.081 – Regulation of Outdoor Burning