Hidalgo County, TX Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)

Texas Local Government Code §352.051 authorizes the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court to prohibit or restrict outdoor burning when conditions warrant, with bans typically lasting up to 90 days and renewable. Recent burn bans have remained in effect for extended periods due to drought across the Rio Grande Valley. Outdoor burning rules are codified in 30 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 111. Per §111.219, burning may begin no earlier than one hour after sunrise, must end one hour before sunset, requires a responsible party present during active burning, and is prohibited when surface winds are forecast below 6 mph or above 23 mph or during low-level temperature inversions. §111.221 disclaims state liability for damages from authorized burning. Under a Hidalgo County burn ban, outdoor burning is restricted in the unincorporated areas plus incorporated cities that lack their own fire suppression resources; household trash burning is allowed only with a free permit from the Fire Marshal's Office at the Mediplex Building, 1615 S. Closner Ste. J, Edinburg (Mon-Fri 8:00-11:30 a.m. and 1:00-4:00 p.m.). Permits are not issued during 'fire watch' or 'red-flag warning' advisories. Exemptions include firefighter training, public utility/pipeline operations, agricultural planting/harvesting, and prescribed burns by a certified prescribed-burn manager. For fireworks, Local Government Code §352.051 also authorizes the Commissioners Court to restrict the sale and use of certain fireworks when the Texas A&M Forest Service determines drought conditions exist under the Keetch-Byram Drought Index — the restricted categories are 'skyrockets with sticks' and 'missiles with fins' under 26 TAC §34.601. Inside city limits, municipal fireworks ordinances generally prohibit fireworks year-round.