How to check outdoor burning rules in Comal County

For residents of unincorporated Comal County, the Fire Marshal’s 830-643-3748 status line is the first check before an outdoor burn—not the only one.

By Comal.News Water, Utilities & Weather Desk · Source-linked local reporting

Published October 22, 2026 at 10:48 AM CDT3 min read

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A brush pile sits beside a telephone and stack of blank papers, with a windsock above scrubby terrain. — Illustration: A brush pile, windsock, telephone and blank papers evoke checks before outdoor burning.Original editorial illustration; not a photograph and does not depict the reported event or an exact property.Comal.News Visual Desk · Original illustration · Source ↗ · Comal.News original illustration ↗

For an outdoor burn in unincorporated Comal County, check the county burn-ban status, confirm that the fire is allowed under TCEQ rules, and check wind conditions before lighting it.

The county’s Outdoor Burn Information page gives those checks in that order and says residents can verify the ban status by calling 830-643-3748.

From the source record

County guidanceOutdoor Burn Information

Read the TCEQ Laws For Outdoor Burning (PDF) when the County Burn Ban is not in force.

Comal County Fire Marshal’s Office ↗

The county directs residents to check both burn-ban status and TCEQ rules.

The Fire Marshal page displays “Burn Ban OFF” in the preserved county record. For residents in unincorporated Comal County, a Burn Ban OFF notice does not remove the separate TCEQ outdoor-burning requirements. Status can change, so check it again on the day you intend to burn rather than treating a saved page or an earlier call as permission.

Check the status, then the kind of fire

The county lists several fires as prohibited while its burn ban is in effect: campfires, chimineas, fire pits and rings, bonfires, burn piles and household-waste fires. It lists a barbecue pit used for cooking, with a lid containing all sparks and flames, as allowed during a ban. Those examples describe the county’s ban guidance; they do not make every other outdoor fire permissible when the ban is off.

Three checks before an outdoor burn in unincorporated Comal County
Status or question	What to check	Whom to call
County burn ban	Confirm the current status before burning.	Fire Marshal: 830-643-3748
Burn Ban ON	Check the Fire Marshal’s list of prohibited fires and its cooking-pit exception.	Fire Marshal: 830-643-3748
Burn Ban OFF	Check TCEQ rules for the proposed burn and the day’s wind conditions.	TCEQ: 210-490-3096

The county page displayed Burn Ban OFF in the preserved record. Call for the status that applies when you plan to burn.

Check the weather and state rules

The county directs residents to read TCEQ outdoor-burning rules even when its ban is not in force. Its Outdoor Burn Rules page points to the state’s general requirements for allowable burning. If you are unsure whether your planned fire qualifies, ask the Fire Marshal’s Office or TCEQ before starting it; the county lists TCEQ’s San Antonio number as 210-490-3096.

Wind matters as well as the ban. The county’s burn information tells residents to check wind speeds and be prepared for unexpected conditions. It also preserves an older county notice saying that burning is prohibited when forecast wind, including gusts, is predicted to exceed 23 mph. Check the current forecast and the applicable TCEQ requirements before choosing a day to burn.

Inside city limits

This guide covers the unincorporated part of Comal County. If the burn site is inside a city, check with that city about the rules for the address; do not treat the county’s status display as an answer for a site inside city limits. The county’s Outdoor Burn Information page identifies its earlier burn-reporting guidance as guidance for the unincorporated area.

Where to go next

Immediately before a planned burn in unincorporated Comal County, call the Fire Marshal’s Office at 830-643-3748 to confirm the ban status. Its office is at 145 David Jonas Drive in New Braunfels, and the county lists office hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Use the county’s burn-rules page to find its TCEQ rule references, and call TCEQ at 210-490-3096 if you need help determining whether the proposed burn meets those requirements.

How to check outdoor burning rules in Comal County

Check the status, then the kind of fire

Check the weather and state rules

Inside city limits

Where to go next

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