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.