Fire Regulations in San Antonio, TX (2026)
5 verified fire regulations for San Antonio, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Fire Pits & Backyard Fires
San Antonio allows commercially sold fire pits with 25-foot clearance from structures. Spark arrestor screens must be in place. Fire pits cannot be used beneath balconies, porches, or overhangs. Multifamily properties (Group R Div 1 & 2) face stricter rules including 10-foot combustible surface setbacks.
San Antonio Fire Pit Regulations
Some Restrictions2021 International Fire Code as adopted by City of San Antonio, Sections 308.1.4 and 308.4.2 (with local amendments); Section 307.2.2 (open burning permit requirement)
308.1.4 Open-flame cooking devices: Charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices shall not be operated on combustible balconies or within 10 feet (3048 mm) of a combustible surface. 308.4.2 Fire hazard prohibited: In Group R, Division 1 & 2 occupancies, a person shall not construct, erect, install, maintain or use any incinerator, barbecue pit or grill, or fuel fired lanterns, heaters,...
Fireworks
All possession, sale, use, transport, and manufacture of fireworks is prohibited within San Antonio city limits and within 5,000 feet of those limits, per the adopted International Fire Code Section 5601.1.3 and Texas Occupations Code Chapter 2154.
Fireworks Banned Within City Limits (Fire Code Sec. 5601.1.3)
Light RestrictionsTex. Occupations Code § 2154.251
(a) A person may not:(1) explode or ignite fireworks within 600 feet of any church, a hospital other than a veterinary hospital, an asylum, a licensed child care center, or a public or private primary or secondary school or institution of higher education unless the person receives authorization in writing from that organization;(2) sell at retail, explode, or ignite fireworks within 100 feet o...
Outdoor Burning
San Antonio Code of Ordinances Sec. 14-46 makes it unlawful to burn solid waste on any premises in the city unless both the TCEQ and the fire department have approved it first. Violations fall under the general prohibitions in Sec. 14-45, which carries fines from $100 up to $2,000 per offense, rising for repeat convictions.
San Antonio Bans Burning Solid Waste
Heavy RestrictionsSan Antonio Code of Ordinances Sec. 14-46 (penalty: Sec. 14-45(a))
It shall be unlawful for any owner, manager, tenant, and/or occupant of any dwelling unit, building, and/or premises to burn solid waste on any premise within the city, unless approval has been granted by the TCEQ and the fire department. ... any person, firm, corporation or agent or employee thereof who violates any of the provisions of section 14-46 and 14-47 shall be fined an amount not less...
Wildfire Zones
San Antonio's northwest areas near Camp Bullis and the Hill Country contain wildland-urban interface zones with elevated wildfire risk. The City Manager was authorized under a 2016 ordinance (Ordinance 2018-11-03-0860) to execute interlocal agreements with the Texas A&M Forest Service for fuel reduction services. The International Fire Code as adopted in Chapter 11, Article III applies to brush management and defensible space.
San Antonio Wildfire Zone & Defensible Space Rules
Light RestrictionsTex. Local Government Code § 352.081
(a) In this section, "drought conditions" means the existence of a long-term deficit of moisture creating atypically severe conditions with increased wildfire occurrence as defined by the Texas Forest Service through the use of the Keetch-Byram Drought Index or, when that index is not available, through the use of a comparable measurement that takes into consideration the burning index, spread ...
Smoke Detectors
San Antonio's Property Maintenance Code requires smoke alarms outside every sleeping area in one- and two-family homes, with interconnection and hard-wired power in most cases. Landlords must verify a working alarm before a tenant moves in, and tenants cannot disable one without immediately replacing the battery.
San Antonio Smoke Alarm Requirements
Some RestrictionsSan Antonio Property Maintenance Code (SAPMC) Sections 703.2, 703.3, 703.5
703.2 Smoke Alarms. In Group R1, R2, R3 occupancy used for commercial purposes and R, smoke alarms shall be installed in accordance with the International Fire Code, as amended by the City. ... In R-3 Occupancies (1 and 2 family dwellings) not used for commercial purposes: 1.Smoke alarms shall be placed in accordance with the requirement adopted by the City at the time of construction; or 2.If ...
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