8 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 4 cities in Bexar County, Texas.
Verified from official government sources
Fire pits are permitted in unincorporated Bexar County subject to TCEQ burning conditions. Gas fire pits are exempt from county burn bans. Wood-burning fire pits must comply with outdoor burning regulations when no burn ban is active.
Bexar County Commissioners Court has restricted certain fireworks in unincorporated areas under Texas Local Government Code §352.051 and Texas Occupations Code Chapter 2154. The current order prohibits 'skyrockets with sticks' and 'missiles with fins' due to drought conditions. Standing fire-marshal rules also bar fireworks within 600 feet of schools, churches, hospitals, and child-care facilities, and within 100 feet of flammable liquid/gas storage. Violations are Class C misdemeanors with fines up to $500. A countywide burn ban was extended through February 9, 2026.
Tex. Occ. Code Sec. 2154.251 (Prohibited Use of Fireworks)
Sec. 2154.251. PROHIBITED USE OF FIREWORKS. (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 retai...
Bexar County has no dedicated defensible-space ordinance, but burn bans, San Antonio weed-lot rules, and Firewise programs encourage 30-foot clearance around structures, especially in western Hill Country neighborhoods.
Outdoor burning in unincorporated Bexar County is regulated by TCEQ 30 TAC 111.209 plus Commissioners Court burn bans under TX Gov Code 418.108. Burning is banned most late-summer drought periods.
The Texas A&M Forest Service maps parts of western and northern Bexar County, including Helotes, Leon Springs, and Camp Bullis edges, as wildland-urban interface with elevated wildfire risk during drought cycles.
Tex. Local Gov. Code Sec. 352.081 (County Regulation of Outdoor Burning)
Sec. 352.081. REGULATION OF OUTDOOR BURNING. (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 tak...
Smoke detector rules in Bexar County come from the IRC as adopted locally plus TX Property Code 92.251 for rentals. Bexar adopts IRC for new construction; landlords must install and maintain detectors.
Backyard fires in unincorporated Bexar County must comply with TCEQ 30 TAC 111.219 and any active burn ban. San Antonio allows recreational fires in approved appliances with 15-foot structure clearance.
Tex. Local Gov. Code Sec. 352.081 (County Regulation of Outdoor Burning)
Sec. 352.081. REGULATION OF OUTDOOR BURNING. (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 tak...
Bexar County regulates propane (LP-gas) storage through Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 113 and Texas Railroad Commission rules, requiring permits for residential tanks over 125 gallons water capacity and setbacks from buildings, property lines, and ignition sources in unincorporated areas.
4 cities in Bexar County have their own fire regulations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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