Controlled Outdoor Burning Inside the City Limits

Controlled burns within the city limits may be conducted by approval from the Fire Marshal or his designee and is granted by permit only. An onsite review of the material to be burned shall be conducted for the permit to be issued.

The fee for issued permits for the conducting of approved outdoor burning is subject to the following information:

Established Residential or Vacant Lots: $20.00 for 30 calendar days
HOA, POA, on established subdivision community burn lot: $40.00 for 30 calendar days
Commercial or Residential Development Property under developer control: 2-10 acres - $200 for 30 calendar days
Commercial or Residential Development Property under developer control: >10 acres - $200 + $20 for each acre over 10 for 30 calendar days

Exception: Extensions may be granted if the time period was shortened due to weather conditions, state or county issued burn bans, extended red flag warnings or any other reasonable situation as determined by the Fire Marshal.

The permit will be approved so long as the applicant can meet all conditions of the permit which include:

Allowable materials include any trees or brush collected from the site of the fire. New or used dimensional lumber that is free from paint, varnish, oils, stains, treatment for insect or decay or glues or resins not found in the wood in its natural state.
You may not burn leaves, peat, or any other dense vegetation that does not readily burn or any man-made construction material including but not limited to oriented strand board, plywood, particle board, laminate beams, etc. and all non-wood construction material.
The fire must be positioned 50 ft or more from other combustible materials and structures.
A method of controlling the fire must be present (e.g., garden hose, extinguisher, heavy equipment).
Fire must be constantly attended by person 17 years of age or older.
Hours of burning are sunrise to sunset.
No fires allowed if wind speed is less than 6 mph or greater than 23 mph.

Should a Burn Ban be implemented during the active period of a Burn Permit, the permit will be suspended until the ban is lifted.

The Fire Department will extinguish all non-permitted controlled burns and all permitted controlled burns not meeting the requirements of the permit. Further non-compliance is subject to fines from $100.00 to $2000.00 at the discretion of the Municipal Judge. Failure to obtain a permit to burn or non-compliance of an issued burn permit could cause permanent ban from permitted outdoor burning.

For more information on controlled burning contact the Fire Marshal's Office, Monday through Friday, from 8 AM to 5 PM. Controlled burn permits can be picked up at the Burnet Central Fire Station, 2002 S. Water St., Burnet. Cash or Check only.

Alternatives to Controlled Burning

As an alternative to controlled burning the City of Burnet offers a free drop off site one week a month for citizens living within the incorporated city limits. The site is located at the Northeast Facility, 3675 FM 963. Proof of residency such as driver’s license, tax or utility bill is required. For drop off dates, click here.