Burn ban lifted for now

County commissioners lifted the burn ban put in place on July 27 at their Sept. 12 meeting but Precinct 3 Commissioner Stacey Rogers warned the ban may be reinstated after cold weather sets in. The Order Restricting Outdoor Burning was rescinded with immediate effect on a 4-1 vote.

“I voted for it the week before,” Mr. Rogers said. “With the recent rains and the current green up, I thought it should be lifted and allow residents to burn before the upcoming frost in which we will probably have to go back into the burn ban this winter. Looking at the Texas Forest Service map, it looked like conditions were all right for us to burn at this time.”

Young County Sheriff Travis Babcock told the commissioners that the county responded to seven small grass-fueled fires in August. “We did give a citation in Olney on a burn,” he said. “Olney [Volunteer Fire Department] went to that fire but we gave a citation.”

Earlier this month, the commissioners said they wanted to work with state lawmakers in the legislative session that begins in January to increase penalties for repeated violations of the burn ban. The county now is limited to fines of $500 for those who flout burn bans. “If you do something that is destructive to other people’s property you need to be held accountable for it to make them whole for it,” Mr. Rogers said. “We just have to increase the fine for repeat offenders.”