Plano, TX Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

The City of Plano Code of Ordinances § 14-110 states plainly that, with the exception of ceremonial campfires, all open burning in the city is prohibited, and that permits for ceremonial campfires are issued subject to restrictions from the fire department, health department, and the Texas Air Quality Control Board. 1, captioned "Prohibited Open Burning" in the section titled "Open Burning, Recreational Fires and Portable Outdoor Fireplaces", to read that open burning shall be prohibited within the City of Plano. Because the city's amendment removes the model code's normal allowance for small recreational fires and portable outdoor fireplaces without a permit, residents cannot rely on the International Fire Code's standard exception; the city-specific text controls.

Anyone wanting a fire, even a ceremonial campfire, must obtain approval that satisfies all three reviewing agencies: Plano Fire-Rescue, the health department, and the state's air-quality regulator. There is no separate registration fee schedule published in this section for a ceremonial-campfire permit; applicants work directly with the fire department. Enforcement of the fire code amendments runs through § 8-16, which authorizes the fire code official and designees to enforce Article II (the Fire Code) through criminal and civil remedies, including abatement actions to correct or stop a violation in progress.