Burn ban extended for 45 days

Following a lack of rain this fall, the Coryell County Commissioners Court extended the burn ban for a period of 45 days during a regular meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 22.

The order began at sunset on Tuesday. It will remain in effect unless extended by the commissioners’ court, or if County Judge Roger Miller chooses to end the ban.

Miller said the county currently stands at 694 out of 800 on the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), signaling the area’s severe drought conditions. The drought index is used to determine forest fire potential.

The ban prohibits and restricts the “outdoor burning of all substances” due to public safety risks that could be heightened by outdoor burning.

The ban does not prohibit outdoor burning activities related to public health and safety that are authorized by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which includes:

• Firefighter training
• Public utility, natural gas pipeline, or mining operations
• Planting or harvesting of agricultural crops
• Burns conducted by a prescribed burn manager and meet the standards of the Natural Resources Code
• Welding, grinding, and/or cutting metal if a spotter, serviceable fire extinguisher, and a minimum of 10 gallons of water are present
• Burning domestic waste in a barrel when using a screen with no larger than 3/8-inch holes

For more information on the burn ban, visit https://www.coryellcounty.org/