BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas — The Brazos Valley County Commissioners Court issued a burn ban Tuesday morning prohibiting outdoor burning "for all unincorporated areas of Brazos County."
A "drought condition exists or has existed" was one of the reasons for the order.
"The Commissioner Court makes a finding that circumstances present in all or part of the unincorporated area of Brazos County create a public safety hazard that would be exacerbated by outdoor burning," the order reads.
The ban is through Oct. 25. According to Brazos County District 2 Volunteer Fire Department's Facebook page, the order can be "removed sooner by action of the court."
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Although cities within the county have not issued a burn ban, residents are encourage not to do any illegal outdoor burning.
"A person violates this order if she or he burn any combustible material outside of an enclosures serving to contain all flame and/or sparks, or orders such burning by others," the order reads. "At the discretion of the peace officer or fire chief, second or flagrant violations may be prosecuted."
Provisions of the ban include all outdoor cooking or open flame devices unless "the cooking device is propane or natural gas and has a complete and full enclosure that it utilizes at all times" or if its wood/charcoal.
There are exceptions to the ban such as welding — but under specific circumstances.
"Provide a spotter for each welder, each cutter, each grinder for any activity that causes or may cause a spark," the order states, including that a minimum of 100 gallons of water must be near the site. Also, the welder has to give notice to the Brazos County Risk Manager and Brazos County Emergency Services.
The ban does not apply to prescribed burns such as firefighting training; public utility; natural gas pipeline or mining operation; planting or harvesting crops; or burns that are conducted by a prescribed burn manager certified through the Texas Natural Resources Code.
Violations can lead to up a Class C misdemeanor citation, according to Brazos County Sheriff Deputy David Wilcox, who also serves as the department's public information officer.
