Waco, TX Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Section 10-45(c) of Waco's fire chapter reaches essentially any open burning of vegetation or debris: "any cut or uncut grass, weeds, brush, or other vegetation, or any other material" cannot be burned on any lot or premises within the corporate limits without a fire marshal permit, and the burn must then follow whatever conditions came with that permit. The only carve-out is for cooking fires already authorized under the chapter's outdoor-fire rules, meaning a compliant backyard barbecue pit or attended cooking fire under § 10-45(a)-(b) doesn't itself need a separate burn permit, but burning brush, leaves or grass clippings does.

Because the fire marshal administers the permit and its conditions, the office can restrict timing, size, or method, and can deny a permit outright when conditions are hazardous. Enforcement personnel include the fire marshal's office and fire department staff, and the police department may assist where the fire chief requests it under § 10-2(a). Chapter 10 imposes strict liability for violations under § 10-2(b), so unpermitted burning is enforceable regardless of intent. This local permit requirement functions independently of any county-level burn ban McLennan County or the state may declare during drought conditions; a county burn ban does not substitute for, or override, Waco's separate fire marshal permit requirement inside city limits, and residents inside Waco need the city permit regardless of county burn-ban status.