Small backyard recreational and cooking fires are allowed under Texas air rules if attended, contained and not a nuisance, unless a Bell County burn ban is in effect. The county sets no design rules; cities apply the International Fire Code.
State air-quality rules (TCEQ, 30 TAC Ch. 111) exempt fires used solely for recreation, ceremony, cooking or warmth from the general outdoor-burning ban, so a contained backyard campfire, chiminea or fire pit is generally lawful in unincorporated Bell County. The fire must be attended at all times, kept a safe distance from structures and property lines, and must not create a smoke nuisance or traffic hazard. During a commissioners-court burn ban declared under Local Government Code Sec. 352.081, recreational fires can be prohibited too. Inside cities, the adopted International Fire Code limits recreational fire size (generally under 3 feet) and requires setbacks from structures.
Lighting a recreational fire during a county burn ban is a Class C misdemeanor. Unattended or nuisance fires may also trigger city fire-code citations.
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See how Bell County's backyard fires rules stack up against other locations.
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