Can I burn leaves, brush or trash in my yard in Baytown?
Short answer: No. Texas air-quality rules don't allow burning household trash where trash pickup is provided, and in Harris and Chambers counties they don't allow burning yard waste for routine cleanup. Cooking fires, campfires and fires for warmth are allowed.
Can I burn leaves, brush or trash in my yard in Baytown?
Layer twoWhat the code actually says, word for wordTap to open
"No person may cause, suffer, allow, or permit any outdoor burning within the State of Texas,"verbatim
"used solely for recreational or ceremonial purposes, or in the noncommercial preparation of food, or used exclusively for the purpose of supplying warmth during cold weather"
Layer threeWho handles it: Baytown Fire Department, Community Risk Reduction (Fire Marshal)Map
Trash
State rules start from a ban: "No person may cause, suffer, allow, or permit any outdoor burning within the State of Texas," except as the rules allow. Burning household waste at home is allowed only where the local government doesn't provide or authorize trash collection. Baytown does. Tires, furniture, carpet, electrical wire, appliances and non-wood construction debris can never be burned. (30 Texas Administrative Code Secs. 111.201 and 111.209.)
Leaves and brush
Baytown sits in Harris and Chambers counties, part of the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria ozone area. There, burning plant growth is allowed only for right-of-way maintenance, land clearing and canal maintenance when there's no practical alternative. Raking up the yard isn't on the list. (30 TAC Sec. 111.209.) Use the city's yard-waste pickup instead: yard waste is collected weekly and brush monthly (City Code Secs. 86-70 and 86-71).
What is allowed
Fires "used solely for recreational or ceremonial purposes, or in the noncommercial preparation of food, or used exclusively for the purpose of supplying warmth during cold weather" (30 TAC Sec. 111.207). These fires must also meet the general requirements in 30 TAC Sec. 111.219. So a barbecue pit, fire pit or campfire is fine. The city has adopted the 2015 International Fire Code, which has its own open-burning rules, so ask the Fire Marshal about anything bigger.
Burn bans
County burn bans, which Harris and Chambers counties issue during dry spells, apply to unincorporated areas, not inside city limits (Texas Local Government Code Sec. 352.081). Inside Baytown, the state and city rules above apply year-round. Don't burn when it's dry or windy; the Fire Marshal can stop any fire that is a hazard.
What happens if you don't
City fire-code violations can be fined up to $2,000 per day (City Code Sec. 1-14). The state can also enforce its rules. In the unincorporated part of a county, breaking a county burn ban is a Class C misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500.
Who to call
Baytown Fire Department, Community Risk Reduction (Fire Marshal). For state rules: the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Sources
- 30 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 111, Subchapter B (outdoor burning), Secs. 111.201, 111.207, 111.209.
- City of Baytown Code of Ordinances, Sec. 38-61 (International Fire Code adopted), Secs. 86-68, 86-70 and 86-71 (garbage, yard waste and brush collection), Sec. 1-14 (penalty). library.municode.com/tx/baytown
- Texas Local Government Code, Sec. 352.081; Texas Penal Code, Sec. 12.23 (Class C fine).
En español
En Baytown no se permite quemar basura doméstica, porque la ciudad ofrece recolección, ni quemar hojas o ramas para limpiar el patio, según las reglas estatales de calidad del aire para los condados de Harris y Chambers. Sí se permiten fuegos para cocinar, fogatas recreativas y fuegos para calentarse. Las prohibiciones de quema de los condados aplican fuera de los límites de la ciudad.