Cass County Burn Ban
On July 8 County Judge Travis Ransom issued an order prohibiting outdoor burning. The burn ban stems from abnormally dry conditions. According to waterdatafortexas.com, Cass County is under moderate drought conditions. Even with Saturday’s welcome short rain shower, the county only has received approximately 2.5 inches, compared to normal rainfall of about 4.7 inches.
The droughtmonitor.unl.edu reports that under the current D1 moderate drought conditions citizens should expect stunted dryland crops, early cattle sales to begin, and an increase in wildfire frequencies. Also, stock tanks, creeks, and streams are low; and voluntary water restrictions are requested. In neighboring areas and even in our area citizens should be aware of wildlife moving into populated areas to try to find water.
In the press release sent out on the 8th, it was noted that “a drought condition exists in Cass County (“Drought Condition” is defined as the existence of a long-term deficit of moisture creating severe conditions with increased wildfire occurrence as defined by the Texas Forest Service); and a declaration of such a condition authorizes the imposition of controls on activities which tend to increase the likelihood of such fires; and in accordance with Local Government Code Section 352.081, the Commissioners Court is authorized to declare a ban on open burning in unincorporated areas of the County; and includes all outdoor fires, including fires contained in a container or semi-enclosure, such as a barrel or hopper. (This does not include grills, barbeques, or smokers which are used to cook food and are fully covered and attended.) Open grills, barbeques, or smokers are prohibited.
“It is hereby ordered by the Commissioners Court of Cass County that outdoor burning is prohibited in unincorporated areas of the county, with the following exceptions: (1) Outdoor cooking only in enclosed pits or grills, for 90 days from the date of adoption of this Order, unless the restrictions are terminated earlier based on a determination made by the Commissioners Court or the County Judge, upon recommendation by the forestry service, based on a determination that the circumstances that required the Order no longer exist.
“It was also ordered that the following emergency regulations are hereby established for all unincorporated areas of Cass County, Texas, with this Order being in effect for a period not to exceed 90 days.
“A. A person commits an offense if he or she burns a combustible material outside of an enclosure, which serves to contain all flames and/or sparks or orders such burning by others. B. In accordance with Local Government Code Section 352.081(h), a violation of this Order is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine not to exceed $500.00.
“The purpose of this Order is the mitigation of the hazard posed by wildfires during the current dry weather conditions by curtailing the practice of outdoor burning, which purpose is to be taken into account in any enforcement action based upon this Order”.
Statewide Dr. Mark Wentzel, a Hydrologist for Texas Water Development Board notes that “the latest seasonal drought outlook from the National Weather Service doesn’t look great for Texas. Overall, the National Weather Service anticipates drought conditions will expand to cover most of the state by the end of August. Only the northeast corner of the state is expected to remain drought-free. Any chances for drought relief this summer? For the eastern half of Texas, we usually get some showers and a bit of a break from the heat up until the Fourth of July. And the dog days of summer come in after that. Seems like the hounds have shown up early this year. For the western half of the state, monsoon flow from the Pacific can provide some drought relief in July and August.”