Taylor, TX Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Chapter 9, Article IV, Division 2 (Sec. 9-75 through 9-80) sets Taylor's outdoor burning rules. Sec. 9-77 sorts burns into four categories: domestic waste is never an allowed burn; on-site burning of plant growth or maintenance debris needs a permit and is limited to lots of five acres or more; land-clearing operations need a permit and must follow the method requirements; and recreational, ceremonial, cooking, or warming fires need no permit at all but are capped at 18 cubic feet, two feet high by three feet wide by three feet long.

Permitted burns carry conditions under Sec. 9-78: the responsible party must apply for a permit, pass a pre-burn inspection, notify the fire department before lighting, stay present the entire time the fire burns or smolders, keep an extinguishing method on hand sized to the fire, stay at least 300 feet from any structure with sensitive receptors, burn only between one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset, and skip burning entirely on red flag warning days or during any active burn ban at the federal, state, county, or city level.

A permit lasts two weeks from issuance (Sec. 9-78(2)) and the fee is whatever burn-permit fee is in effect on the date of issuance (Sec. 9-76). An inspector can shut down a burn on the spot for noncompliance, voiding the permit with no refund (Sec. 9-78(13)).