Burn ban issued for Travis County, expires January 13, 2021

The Travis County Commissioners Court has issued a burn ban for the unincorporated areas of the county. The burn ban in Travis County will begin Tuesday, December 15, 2020 and expire on Wednesday, January 13, 2021, unless further action is taken by the county judge or county fire marshal prior to that date.

“We received some rain, but it wasn’t enough to improve our drought conditions,” said Travis County Chief Fire Marshal Tony Callaway. “Unfortunately, we don’t expect there to be relief anytime soon. Therefore, in order to ensure public safety, it’s necessary to issue a new burn ban for the unincorporated areas before the current ban expires on December 16, 2020.”

RELATED: Travis County bans sale, use of restricted fireworks due to drought

The ban on outdoor burning does not affect prescribed burns conducted under the supervision of a prescription burn manager, according to a press release frp, the county. It also does not affect outdoor welding, cutting or grinding operations, and outdoor hot works operations conducted in accordance with the guidelines established by the Travis County Fire Marshal’s Office.

The Travis County Fire Marshal urges caution when conducting outdoor grilling and barbecuing. It is recommended residents have water nearby in case of a fire. Call 9-1-1 immediately if a fire gets out of control.

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