Dallas County, TX Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)

Dallas County's regulatory authority over vegetation on private property is narrower than a city's. The Dallas County Fire Marshal, operating under Texas Local Government Code Chapter 352, may investigate fire hazards and issue outdoor burning bans during drought conditions under Texas Government Code Section 418.108. When the Commissioners Court adopts a burn ban order, outdoor burning of brush, leaves, and yard waste is prohibited countywide in unincorporated areas, with limited exceptions for prescribed burns by certified burn managers and cooking fires in approved appliances. Texas Administrative Code Title 30 Chapter 111 (TCEQ Outdoor Burning Rule) additionally restricts what, when, and how vegetation may be burned, and requires burning to be at least 300 feet from neighboring structures. Property owners in unincorporated Dallas County should maintain defensible space around structures per NFPA and Texas A&M Forest Service guidance, though defensible space is not mandated by county order. Texas Local Government Code Chapter 240 restricts counties from regulating many nuisances the way cities do, so tall grass or weed clearance is generally not enforced by the county except where state law specifies. For unincorporated parcels served by an Emergency Services District (ESD) or contract fire department, follow that agency's access and fire lane requirements. Property owners remain liable under common law if their failure to clear hazardous vegetation causes a fire to spread.