Countywide Burn Ban Now In Effect

A burn ban is now in effect in Tom Green County. In commissioners' court Tuesday morning, the commissioners debated the pros and cons of posting an immediate ban and how it would affect the community.

County Judge Stephen Floyd wished to give the public a week’s notice so that those who need to burn, such as farmers, would have the opportunity before the ban came into effect.

On the other hand, commissioner Bill Ford wished for the ban to begin immediately in response to wildfires that have already occurred near the area. Such fires include one close to Sonora on Interstate 10.

“We haven’t had any winds, but if we get a wind and a fire, then we’re in trouble.” Ford said.

The previous burn ban was lifted because of the good deal of rain that the county received before a few weeks ago. However, the period of dry weather has caused the vegetation that grew due to these rains to begin to dry out, creating a fire hazard.

The burn ban is almost always on the court’s agenda because the county’s always on the edge of needing a ban. The rainfall in the area allowed the county to temporarily lift the ban, partially in celebration of the rainwater the county needed. The lack of rain over previous weeks led the court to place the issue back on the agenda for this Tuesday.

Ford appealed to commissioner Ralph Hoelscher, who, like Ford, presides over a precinct in a rural area. These rural areas are especially susceptible to wildfires due to their fields of dry grasses.

“Ralph and I live out there,” Hoelscher said. “We know what it’s like. I’ll make a motion we put the burn ban back on.”

The motion was carried by the court in a three to two vote, so a burn ban was immediately put into effect.

The court’s decision was made partially in order to relieve pressure for volunteer fire departments, who would be responsible for possible fires in rural areas.

Floyd, who did not have a problem with the court’s decision, said that most wildfires are not caused by humans, but by factors such as electrical outages in transmission lines or dry lightning strikes.

“But still, as much as anything, [the ban] makes people very very aware there’s some danger out there,” Floyd said.