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Tex. Natural Resources Code § 153.083

This is the official text of Tex. Natural Resources Code § 153.083, part of Texas’s Natural Resources Code — governs land, minerals, and natural resource management.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

§ 153.083. LIABILITY REGARDING CERTAIN PRESCRIBED BURNS.

Official statutory text

(a) In this section, "burn boss" means an individual responsible for directing a prescribed burn under a written prescription plan described by Section 153.047.

(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), if a prescribed burn is conducted in accordance with a written prescription plan described by Subsection (d) and Section 153.047, a person may be held liable for property damage, personal injury, or death caused by or resulting from the burn only if the person:

(1) is the burn boss; and

(2) is otherwise liable under other law.

(c) Subject to Sections 153.081 and 153.082, a person other than the burn boss, including a person assisting or acting under the direction of the burn boss, may be held liable for property damage, personal injury, or death caused by or resulting from the burn only if the person:

(1) commits gross negligence or intentionally causes the property damage, personal injury, or death; and

(2) is otherwise liable under other law.

(d) For purposes of this section, if the burn boss is not the owner, lessee, or occupant of the land on which the burn is conducted, the written prescription plan must include:

(1) the signature of:

(A) the burn boss; or

(B) the owner, lessee, or occupant of the land on which the burn is conducted; and

(2) a contract acknowledging liability.

(e) Nothing in this section may be construed to create a cause of action or to create a standard of care, obligation, or duty that forms the basis of a cause of action.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

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About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.