County judge issues burn ban

Following a week of extreme heat and a rise in drought conditions, County Judge Roger Miller issued a burn ban for Coryell County on Wednesday.

The order is effective immediately for a period of seven days unless extended by the Commissioners’ Court, or if the county judge chooses to end the ban.

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

The order comes after the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), an index used to determine forest fire potential, for the county reached severe drought levels on Tuesday.  

If needed, the burn ban could be extended for up to 90 days.

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/