Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Shortly after voting on a new order to extend the ban on outdoor burning at commissioners’ court on Tuesday, Coryell County commissioners issued a temporary four-day lift of the restrictions.
On Wednesday, Commissioner Kyle Matthews and the Gatesville Volunteer Fire Department announced on their Facebook pages that the burn ban will be lifted beginning on Thursday, Oct. 26 at 7 a.m. and ending on Sunday Oct. 30 at sunset.
Despite the lift, County Judge Roger Miller said the countywide burn ban will go back into effect on Sunday evening. He said during the commissioners’ court meeting that he is coordinating with local fire departments for the temporary lift of the ban.
“If the weather conditions change to such a degree that there is no longer a public safety hazard, then I have the authority to lift the burn ban provided that those conditions don’t change significantly enough that there is still a public safety hazard,” Miller said.
Miller estimates that about 25% of the county is still experiencing dry conditions.
While parts of Coryell County have received inches of rainfall over the past week, Gatesville Fire Chief Billy Vaden said some areas such as Copperas Cove and Evant have received less rain. Burn bans are issued across the county for public safety and to avoid the spread of a damaging wildfire if one occurs.
“Just because it has rained and it is wet doesn’t mean that there are not any dead grass piles underneath the green grass,” Vaden said.
Commissioner Ryan Basham recommended that the court lift the burn ban this week following recent heavy rainfall.
“In my area last night, I talked to several people, and [we got] anywhere from an inch to a quarter of an inch,” Basham said. “I don’t know if maybe this weekend we can temporarily lift it.”
County Attorney Brandon Belt also voiced his concern to the court about extending the burn ban. He said current rain conditions provide an opportunity for ranchers and farmers who need to do outdoor burnings on their property.
“I have brush piles that need to be burned,” Belt said. “It’s raining, the ground is wet, and there’s a chance of rain the rest of the week.”
Because of severe drought conditions and the threat of wildfires, Coryell County has remained under a burn ban since July.
According to a map by Texas A&M Forest Services, nearby counties including Bell, Hamilton, and Lampasas are still under burn bans.
Last year, the commissioners court voted to lift the burn ban in early November.
