§ 22-25.1. Fires and fire hazards—Smoking, campfires and cooking fires.

(a)

It shall be unlawful to have a fire except in designated fire pits, fire rings, and barbeque pits.

(b)

Smoking shall be prohibited in parks designated as natural areas by the director of parks and recreation and parks developed as part of the Linear Creekway Parks development program (Leon Creek, Salado Creek, Medina River), except in areas located within these parks designated as smoking areas. "Smoking" shall mean inhaling, exhaling, burning, or carrying any lighted cigar, cigarette, pipe, weed, plant, or other combustible substance in any manner or in any form.

(c)

It shall be unlawful to collect firewood, except kindling, in city park areas.

(d)

It shall be unlawful to utilize a portable barbeque pit, grill or similar device in parks that are designated as natural areas by the director of parks and recreation with the following exceptions:

Portable, compressed-fuel camping or backpack stoves may be used in natural areas only in designated camping sites and only if user of such cooking stove has reserved the camping site. Burning of wood, charcoal and artificial logs is prohibited in such camping sites.

(e)

The director of parks and recreation department may declare an area as "extreme fire hazard" and all fires and smoking will be prohibited without exception until such designation is removed. It is understood that this declaration may precede such designation by the fire department.

(f)

Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor.

(Ord. No. 2008-04-17-0317, § 6, 4-17-08)