Legal Services

	"Although there's been a lot of rain recently in certain regions of Texas, my county has remained dry. How do we know when circumstances warrant the adoption of a burn ban?"

How can the county obtain a drought determination from the Texas Forest Service?

To obtain a determination, you may visit the Texas Interagency Coordination Center's website or call (936) 875‑4786. On the website, you will find new drought web links to assist the county in monitoring drought conditions more closely.

Alternatively, Local Government Code §352.081 authorizes the commissioners court make a finding that circumstances present in all or part of the unincorporated areas of the county create a public safety hazard that would be exacerbated by outdoor burning. For more detailed information, please see our Burn Ban, Regulation of Fireworks, and Declaration of Local Disaster handbook.