Burn ban in effect for Travis County

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Travis County commissioners voted to issue a burn ban for unincorporated areas of the county.

On Tuesday, Travis County Commissioners Court voted to implement a burn ban for the county. The burn ban went into effect right away, and commissioners voted that it remain in effect for the next 14 days, unless said otherwise by the Travis County judge and or fire marshal.

“This week, we’re experiencing dangerous levels of heat and decreasing humidity, which is a troubling combination for wildfire risk,” said Travis County Chief Fire Marshal Gary Howell. 

Howell shared that these next few days the county will be experiencing extremely high temperatures in the 100s and low humidity. These conditions together create the right environment for environmental fires occur.

"I urge everyone in Travis County to abide by the burn ban, so we can all work together to minimize the risk of fires and ensure our public’s safety," said Howell.

The only outdoor burns permitted are prescribed burns with the supervision of a prescription burn manager present. The ban also excludes outdoor welding, cutting or grinding and outdoor hot works operations conducted while following TCFMO guidelines.

The TCFMO encourages residents to use caution when barbequing or grilling outdoors. Always have water nearby and call 9-1-1 in case of any emergency.