Outdoor Burning Regulations in Unincorporated Denton County

The Denton County Emergency Services Office would like to remind residents of Unincorporated Denton County of Outdoor Burning Regulations mandated by Denton County and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ):

Denton County decides on a daily basis if conditions are favorable to burn based on TCEQ recommendations or if the local conditions cause extreme fire potentials to be low. The determination is made between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM daily.

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Call the Denton County Fire Marshal at (940) 349-2840 Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Saturday through Sunday a recording will provide information and instructions regarding open burning for the day. If you have a current Open Burning Registration filed with the Fire Marshal Office the 

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The Controlled Burn Log website will provide the daily information for open burning. Registration holders may log open burning individually provided it is a day approved for open burning. If an individual does not have internet access they may leave their name, address and phone number and the information will be logged in for that burn day. The location of your burn will be logged in the event someone calls 9-1-1 reporting your smoke or flames.

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• Residents living in Unincorporated Denton County must have a filed Open Burning Registration.

• You must reside outside city limits. 

• The burn must not start until 1 hour after sunrise and must be completely extinguished 1 hour before sunset. 

• Clear area of vegetation and all combustibles at least 10-20 feet in all directions from the burn pile before burning. 

• The burn must be attended at ALL times. Have a shovel and water supply handy until fire is extinguished. 

• The burn must be downwind and at least 300 feet from structures on adjacent properties. 

• The burn must not affect roads, airstrips and navigable water. 

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Yard trimmings, brush, timber and untreated lumber are acceptable items to burn.

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Some examples of unacceptable items would include: tires, plastics, paints, furniture, carpet, electrical wire, chemical wastes, asphaltic materials, heavy oils, treated lumber, appliances and items containing natural or synthetic rubber.

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In areas where domestic waste pick-up is not provided and waste is burned the burn must take place in an approved container. Acceptable domestic waste is kitchen garbage, untreated lumber, cardboard boxes and clothing.

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Outdoor burning is allowed when used solely for recreational or ceremonial purposes, in the noncommercial preparation of food, or exclusively as a means to provide warmth in cold weather. In other words, campfires, and cooking fires are allowed. Fires built under this exception may not contain domestic waste, electrical insulation, treated lumber, plastics, construction or demolition materials not made of wood, heavy oils, asphaltic materials, potentially explosive materials, chemical wastes, or items containing natural or synthetic rubber.

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For questions about outdoor burning contact:

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Denton County Emergency Services Office at (940) 349-2840