As the Texas summer draws residents outside to enjoy campfires and to clear out woody acreage, the Keller Fire Department has kept busy answering questions about the requirements for outdoor burning within the city limits. The department has just completed an update of the Outdoor Burning Rules and Regulations document available online spelling out all the do’s and don’ts of both open burning and recreational burning here in Keller, but here are some basics to get you started: 

Open Burning 
• Requires a site inspection by the Keller Fire Department and a $50 permit 
• Burn sites must be at least 300 feet from any structure, and fires must be no larger than 10 feet wide and 6 feet tall 
• Permitted burns may start no earlier than one hour after sunrise and must be completed before sunset 
• Burns must take place when winds are traveling between 6 mph and 23 mph
• Burning is not permitted during a burn ban, on ozone action days or on days when the National Weather Service is reporting a “high” fire weather threat index 
• The burning of domestic waste is prohibited (this includes kitchen garbage, treated lumber, grass and leaves) 
• Fires must be extinguished before they are left unattended 

Recreational Burning 
• Requires a site inspection by the Keller Fire Department (but not a permit) 
• Fires must be no larger than 3 feet wide and 2 feet tall 
• Fires must be at least 20 feet from structures, or 15 feet if they are in an approved container such as an outdoor fireplace 
• Burns must take place when winds are traveling between 6 mph and 23 mph
• Burning is not permitted during a burn ban, on ozone action days or on days when the National Weather Service is reporting a “high” fire weather threat index 
• Fires must be extinguished before they are left unattended 

Story courtesy of the City of Keller