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Council Adopts Amendments to 2015 International Fire Code to Align With State and COG Recommendations
Summary
Gun Barrel City council adopted an ordinance amending the city's 2015 International Fire Code to incorporate North Central Texas Council of Governments recommended amendments and align the local code with Texas state requirements, including outdoor‑burning provisions.
Gun Barrel City council voted to adopt ordinance O-2025-010, updating the city’s local adoption of the 2015 International Fire Code with the North Central Texas Council of Governments’ recommended amendments to align the code with state law and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality guidance.
Dr. Smith, the city manager, explained that the city had adopted the 2015 International Fire Code previously and that the regional Council of Governments (COG) publishes recommended amendments that reconcile International Code Council language with Texas statutes and agency rules. Smith said one notable change clarifies outdoor burning limits: the prior local language (20 or 50 feet in some sections of the international code) conflicted with state law language requiring downwind separation or 300 feet in certain contexts; the amendment brings the local code in line with state requirements.
City Attorney Blake Armstrong and interim fire officials reviewed the redlined amendments included in the council packet. Armstrong and staff recommended adopting the full set of COG amendments to ensure the city’s fire code is consistent with state statutes and TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) expectations.
Councilmembers approved Ordinance O-2025-010 by voice vote. The ordinance contains standard severability and repealer clauses and updates administrative and technical provisions to reflect the COG recommendations. Staff said the amendments are largely technical and intended to avoid conflicts between the international code language and Texas legal requirements.
Officials said the update was time‑sensitive because the city had recently needed to clarify outdoor‑burning rules for a resident and builder; aligning the code now prevents future conflicts in enforcement and permitting.
