Denton County Judge Andy Eads on Tuesday issued a Local Disaster Declaration for Threat of Wildland Fires Due to Dry Conditions — a mandatory burn ban — in Denton County effective immediately.
Denton County is now the 174th of 254 Texas counties that have a burn ban in effect.
Eads, in the interest of fire safety and fire prevention, is asking for the cooperation of all Denton County residents with respect to outdoor burning, the county said in a news release. High temperatures, high winds, low humidity and dead/dormant vegetation have contributed to the risk of large and destructive wildfires. At risk are homes, valuable property and lives.
Denton County is experiencing dry weather with only a slight chance for relief in the immediate future and is currently classified to be in moderate drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor Map. The county has seen a slight increase in frequency of wildfires. The Denton County burn ban will continue until drought conditions are alleviated.
“Prevention of potential wildland fires is essential to the safety of county residents. Wildfires can be devastating and difficult on everyone, especially farmers and ranchers; wildfires can destroy not only lives and property, but livelihoods as well,” Eads said. “With everyone’s help we can make our communities a safer place to live and enjoy life.”
The mandatory burn ban will prohibit all outdoor burning, include restrictions on outdoor hot work (welding and cutting torch operations), and the use of certain combustible materials. Violation of the county judge executive-ordered burn ban is a class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $500.
“Citizens should take measures to protect their home by removing unwanted combustible debris and vegetation away from their homes and be sure to keep water hoses ready and accessible in the event a small fire starts,” said Denton County Chief Fire Marshal Brad Sebastian. “Always call 911 early to notify your fire department of any fire to assure a faster response and that complete extinguishment has occurred.”
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