It’s Now Illegal To Do Outdoor Burning In Smith County And Other East Texas Counties

Hotober continues in East Texas! As unseasonably warm weather continues for the region, vegetation in the area becomes vulnerable to drying out quickly and could easily catch fire from any spark.

It has been several weeks since the entire region has seen measurable rainfall, and it's not just farmers who would love to see rainfall; homeowners would, too, so they could turn off their lawn sprinklers for a couple of days.

Smith County, Texas is the latest East Texas county to enact a burn ban on outdoor burning.

On Monday, October 7th Smith County Fire Marshall Chad Hogue recommended to the Commissioners Court that a 90-day burn ban be enacted for the county. Marshall Hogue said Smith County Fire responded to around 50 grass fires from September 23rd through October 6th. Without significant rainfall in the forecast and lower humidities, Hogue made the recommendation to the court.

The Smith County Commissioners Court accepted the recommendation and issued a 90-day ban on outdoor burning making burning of any kind illegal within the county. Fireworks, fire pits or any form of outdoor burning is now prohibited. There are a few exceptions, you can still use an outdoor grill or smoker to cook food, but all open flames must have an enclosed lid.

Smith County isn't the only East Texas county currently under a burn ban.

East Texas counties with a burn ban in effect:

• Henderson County
• Anderson County
• Houston County

Violating a current burn ban could result in a Class C Misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500.

The majority of East Texas and Deep East Texas are experiencing some level of drought. The majority is considered 'abnormally dry', while the central counties are under a 'moderate drought' rating and some central and northern counties in East Texas are labeled as 'severe drought'. The US Drought Monitor shows severe drought conditions in portions of Smith, Van Zandt, Wood, Hopkins and Delta counties.

If your county is not under a burn ban and you do any outdoor burning, be aware of weather conditions. Do not burn on high wind days and have a way to put out a fire at all times.