FRANKLIN, Texas — With the excessive Texas heat, Robertson County has become the first in the Brazos Valley to issue a burn ban — officials tell 15ABC these efforts will help keep residents safe this summer.
Fires can start in the blink of an eye, especially where conditions are drier than normal.
The Texas A&M Forest Service shared what counties look for when issuing burn bans — like in Robertson County.
"Seeing basically what the drought level is by testing the soil moisture, they also take in reports from local fire officials within the county to see if the amount of response is picking up,” said Walter Flocke with Texas A&M Forest Service.
Tyler Aaron with the Franklin Volunteer Fire Department is the Assistant Chief, and says even with Fourth of July fireworks out of the way, the risk of fires starting is still there.
“Pretty much any outdoor fire is what you want to be cautious about. Obviously it’s not legal to burn currently, but even when this burn ban gets lifted, you want to have fire breaks and certain precautions. It doesn’t get away from you, and you end up having to see us," Aaron said.
Last year’s burn bans across the Brazos Valley lasted over two months — much like in Brazos County.
Aaron said when they start, there’s no time stamp on when they’ll be lifted.
“There’s a lot of moving factors — weather changes continuously. When they’re on, I would just advise the public to follow them and check in with your commissioners — they are just trying to keep everybody safe,” Aaron said.
While Robertson is just one of seven Brazos Valley counties to issue a burn ban, Walter Flocke with the Texas A&M Forest Service says other counties may follow suit in the coming weeks.
“If we don’t get that seasonal rainfall and we continue to dry, then we will see an increase in counties putting on burn bans,” Flocke said.
Officials also shared some other tips: don’t toss lit cigarettes on the ground, don’t drive or park on tall grass, and be careful with sparks because fires start fast.
