Key facts
| City | Who sets the rule | Wood fire pit | Gas fire pit | Seasonal or daily limit | Penalty or contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | Houston Fire Department, LSB Standard No. 16 (Rev. 07, effective Jan 1, 2024) | Open burning banned without permit; approved outdoor fireplaces excluded from the definition; campfire permit needs 50 ft clearance | Contained appliance, not open burning | Harris County on the TFS burn ban list dated Oct 23, 2026 | Report burning 832 394 6900 day, 713 884 3131 night |
| San Antonio | San Antonio Fire Department; 2024 IFC with local amendments | Allowed at homes: no trash, no smoke into buildings, no hazard, spark screen in place, attended | Same conditions | Bexar County on the TFS burn ban list dated Oct 23, 2026 | Fire Marshal 210 207 8410 |
| Phoenix | Maricopa County Air Quality, P-26 | Banned May 1 to Sept 30 in Area A and on No Burn Days; seasoned wood only | Exempt from P-26 | No Burn Days declared on forecasts, mostly in winter | $50 to $250 under P-26; 602 506 6400 |
| Sacramento | Sac Metro Air District, Rule 421 | Banned on mandatory curtailment days, Nov 1 to end of Feb | Not a solid fuel fire | Daily status: Stage 2, Stage 1, Discouraged, Legal | $50 first violation; 1 877 662 8765 |
Sources: Houston Fire Department LSB Standard No. 16; Houston Fire Marshal FAQ; SAFD bulletin, fuel burning cooking devices, open burning and barbecue pits in residential occupancies; San Antonio fire codes; Maricopa County P-26 Residential Burning Restriction; Maricopa County burning activities; Sac Metro Air District Rule 421; Check Before You Burn; Sac Metro recreational burning; Texas A&M Forest Service county burn ban list (dated October 23, 2026; checked October 25, 2026).
Houston: the definition that decides it
The Houston Fire Department's Life Safety Bureau Standard No. 16, Revision 07, effective January 1, 2024, defines open burning as a bonfire, rubbish fire, campfire, trench fire or other outdoor fire where the fuel is not contained in an approved incinerator, outdoor fireplace, barbecue grill or barbecue pit. Section 16.1.3 prohibits all open burning in the city unless the Fire Code Official issues a permit. So the question for a Houston buyer is not distance first; it is whether your pit is an approved outdoor fireplace or a container for a campfire. A listed gas fire table is the clear case. A loose ring of logs on the lawn is the unclear one.
If you want a true campfire, Section 16.6 requires an Open Burning (Campfire) permit through the Houston Permitting Center at 1002 Washington Avenue (832 394 8811), with a site drawing. The fire must be 50 feet from structures, fences, vehicles, trailers and trees; a 36 by 36 by 24 inch burn container with nothing above the rim earns a 25 foot reduction, and combustible seating must be 15 feet from the rim. A 4-A extinguisher and a charged hose must be on site, and the fire may not be lit when wind exceeds 23 miles per hour. Barbecue pits need no permit, but grills and other open flame cooking devices may not be used within 10 feet of combustible walls, roofs or materials.
San Antonio: four conditions and a 5 foot line
The San Antonio Fire Department's residential bulletin treats commercially sold outdoor fireplaces, fire bowls and chimineas as approved at homes when four things are true: no trash is burned, smoke is not directed into or allowed to collect in buildings, the fire creates no hazard, and the spark arrestor or screen is in place. The fire must be constantly attended with a garden hose or extinguisher ready. The bulletin's open flame rules keep flames 10 feet from apartment and hotel buildings and out from under balconies, but except one and two family homes, unless the flame is within 5 feet of an adjacent structure or neighboring property.
The bulletin was written under the 2021 International Fire Code. The city adopted the 2024 code by Ordinance 2025-01-30-0075, effective May 1, 2025, and we checked its text: local Sections 307.2.2 (no burning without a permit unless in a container approved by the Fire Chief) and 308.4.2 (the 10 foot and 5 foot rules) carry over word for word, so the conditions above still match the code in force. The Fire Marshal's Office is at 210 207 8410. Separately, Bexar County was on the Texas A&M Forest Service burn ban list dated October 23, 2026, along with Harris, Travis, Fort Bend, Comal and Guadalupe counties. Dallas, Tarrant, Williamson and Montgomery counties were not.
Phoenix: a county calendar, not a city permit
In Phoenix the rule comes from Maricopa County's air quality department, not the city fire department. Ordinance P-26 covers any chiminea, outdoor fireplace or other device at a residence that burns solid fuel, and any outdoor fire pit used for recreation, ambiance or warmth. During a declared restricted burn period, you may not operate any of them, and a fire already burning may get no new fuel. The county declares those periods from air quality forecasts and posts them on its Clean Air app and at 602 506 6400.
On top of that, the county bans fires for warmth, recreational fires and wood burning chimineas and outdoor pits in Area A from May 1 through September 30 every year. That makes October through April the only wood fire season, and only on days with no restriction. Gas is the escape hatch: P-26 does not apply to devices designed and used to burn natural gas, propane or liquefied petroleum gas exclusively. Fines are listed at $50 to $250 at residences under P-26, and at least $200 for an illegal outdoor fire under Rule 314.
Sacramento: Rule 421 names fire pits
Sac Metro Air District Rule 421 defines a fire as a solid fuel fire not in a wood burning device, giving fire pits and bonfires as examples, and defines a wood burning device as any indoor or outdoor device that burns solid fuel. Section 301.1 says no one may have a fire or operate a wood burning device during a mandatory curtailment. The Check Before You Burn season runs November 1 through the end of February in unincorporated Sacramento County and in Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Folsom, Galt, Isleton, Rancho Cordova and Sacramento. Stage 2 bans all solid fuel; Stage 1 allows only EPA certified inserts and stoves with no visible smoke, which leaves out a fire pit.
A first violation carries a $50 administrative civil penalty, with a Wood Smoke Awareness Training Exam offered instead. Outside the season, the district says recreational burning is allowed in legal outdoor wood burning appliances with seasoned firewood, and tells residents to check with their local fire department for added requirements. Status for today and tomorrow is at 1 877 662 8765.
Worked example: one propane table, four cities
Take the Real Flame Neven 47, a propane fire table with a 20 pound tank hidden in its base and a 65,000 BTU burner. At the Propane Education & Research Council's 21,548 BTU per pound, a full 20 pound tank holds about 431,000 BTU, so roughly 6.6 hours at full flame, longer on low (see our propane run time guide). In Phoenix it is exempt from P-26, so it works on a No Burn Day in January and on a May evening when wood is banned. In Sacramento it is not a solid fuel fire under Rule 421, so a Stage 2 day does not touch it. In Houston it is a contained appliance rather than open burning; keep it clear of combustible eaves as the maker directs. In San Antonio it easily meets the four bulletin conditions. Swap in a wood burning Breeo X Series and only San Antonio says yes without a calendar check, and even there the Bexar County ban list applies outside city rules.
Related guides
- Fire pit rules in Denver, Salt Lake City, Reno and Austin
- Fire pit rules in Chicago, Dallas and North Las Vegas
- How far should a fire pit be from the house?
- Wood vs gas vs smokeless fire pits
- Propane tank fire pit run time and cost
- Fire pit rules in Columbus, Milwaukee, Louisville and Kansas City
Frequently asked questions
Can I have a wood fire pit in Houston?
Houston Fire Department Life Safety Bureau Standard No. 16 prohibits all open burning in the city without a permit, and its definition of open burning leaves out fuel contained in an approved outdoor fireplace, barbecue grill or barbecue pit. A backyard campfire needs an Open Burning (Campfire) permit and 50 feet of clearance. Ask the Fire Prevention Division whether your pit counts as an approved outdoor fireplace.
Are fire bowls and chimineas legal in San Antonio?
Yes, at homes, if they burn no trash, send no smoke into buildings, create no fire hazard and keep the spark screen in place, per the San Antonio Fire Department's residential code bulletin. The fire must be attended with a hose or extinguisher ready.
When can I use a wood fire pit in Phoenix?
Maricopa County prohibits recreational fires and wood burning outdoor pits in Area A from May 1 through September 30, and on any declared No Burn Day the rest of the year. Gas fire pits are exempt from the county's P-26 restriction.
Does Sacramento's Check Before You Burn apply to fire pits?
Yes. Sac Metro Air District Rule 421 defines a fire as a solid fuel fire not in a wood burning device and names fire pits as an example. On a mandatory curtailment day, no one may have a fire. The season runs November 1 through the end of February.
Is there a burn ban in Houston or San Antonio right now?
Harris County and Bexar County were both on the Texas A&M Forest Service county burn ban list dated October 23, 2026, which we checked on October 25, 2026. County bans are set by each commissioners court; check the list or your county before lighting a solid fuel fire.
Which fire pit works in all four cities?
A propane or natural gas fire table. Phoenix's P-26 exempts gas only devices, Sacramento's Rule 421 is written around solid fuel, Houston's standard treats contained appliances differently from open fires, and San Antonio's bulletin conditions are easy for a listed gas table to meet.
What are the fines for illegal burning in Phoenix and Sacramento?
Maricopa County lists P-26 fines of $50 to $250 at residences and a $200 minimum under Rule 314 for an illegal outdoor fire. Sacramento's Rule 421 sets a $50 administrative civil penalty for a first violation, with a training exam option.
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