Arlington, TX Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)

The Texas A&M Forest Service maps Arlington as low-to-moderate wildfire risk across most of the city, with pockets of elevated risk in western Arlington where cross-timbers oak and juniper vegetation meets residential subdivisions, and along the Trinity River corridor at the north city limit. Unlike hillside California cities, Arlington has not adopted Chapter 7A of the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code, so there are no specific requirements for Class A roofing, enclosed eaves, ember-resistant vents, or 100-foot defensible space measured in concentric zones. Instead, wildfire prevention relies on three layered tools: the year-round fireworks ban (see Fireworks), the 12-inch weed and brush clearance ordinance (see Brush Clearance), and periodic outdoor burn bans declared by the Tarrant County Commissioners Court and Tarrant County Fire Marshal under Texas Local Government Code §352.081. During active burn bans, all outdoor burning is prohibited with narrow exceptions for barbecue grills and contained cooking fires. New construction in Arlington follows the standard 2021 International Fire Code as adopted by the city, not the WUI code, and most insurance underwriters do not require wildfire-specific construction upgrades for Arlington addresses.