Prescribed burning shall be authorized when conducted under the direction of a Certified and Insured Prescribed Burn Manager, as defined in §111.203 of this title (relating to Definitions), for forest, range and wildland/wildlife management and wildfire hazard mitigation purposes, with the exception of coastal salt-marsh management burning. When possible, notification of intent to burn should be made to the appropriate commission regional office prior to the proposed burn. Commission notification or approval is not required. Such burning shall be subject to the following requirements, and not the requirements in §111.219 of this title (relating to General Requirements for Allowable Outdoor Burning).
  (1) 4 TAC Chapter 227 (relating to Requirements for Certified and Insured Prescribed Burn Managers) and Chapter 228 (relating to Procedures for Certified and Insured Prescribed Burn Managers).
  (2) Prior to prescribed or controlled burning for forest management purposes, the Texas Forest Service shall be notified.
  (3) Burning must be outside the corporate limits of a city or town except where the incorporated city or town has enacted ordinances which permit burning consistent with the Texas Clean Air Act, Subchapter E, Authority of Local Governments.
  (4) Burning shall be commenced and conducted only when wind direction and other meteorological conditions are such that smoke and other pollutants will not cause adverse effects to any public road, landing strip, navigable water, or off-site structure containing sensitive receptor(s).
  (5) Burning shall be conducted in compliance with the following meteorological and timing considerations:
    (A) The initiation of burning shall commence no earlier than sunrise. Burning shall be completed on the same day not later than one hour before sunset, and shall be attended by a responsible party at all times during the active burn phase when the fire is progressing. In cases where residual fires and/or smoldering objects continue to emit smoke after this time, such areas shall be extinguished if the smoke from these areas has the potential to create a nuisance or traffic hazard condition. In no case shall the extent of the burn area be allowed to increase after this time.
    (B) Burning shall not be commenced when surface wind speed is predicted to be less than five miles per hour (mph) (four knots) or greater than 23 mph (20 knots) during the burn period.
    (C) Burning shall not be conducted during periods of actual or predicted persistent low-level atmospheric temperature inversions.
  (6) Electrical insulation, treated lumber, plastics, non-wood construction/demolition materials, heavy oils, asphaltic materials, potentially explosive materials, chemical wastes, and items containing natural or synthetic rubber must not be burned.

Source Note: The provisions of this §111.217 adopted to be effective August 3, 2017, 42 TexReg 3799