SMITH COUNTY, Texas — With the recent rainfall, the conditions in the county are beginning to trend in a more favorable direction.
The Smith County Fire Marshal's office is reminding its residents that all outdoor burning in the county is still prohibited.
The recent precipitation in the area has helped, but has not overcome the drought conditions in the county.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index decreased 13 points this morning to 753. The KBDI is a metric used to measure the effects of seasonal drought on fire potential. Historically, the county has implemented a burn ban when the KBDI reaches the mid-600 to 700 range.
The Smith County Commissioners Court voted on Tuesday, Aug. 1, to issue a burn ban for the county. The burn ban order is in effect for 90 days unless conditions improve and the Commissioners Court approves terminating the order early.
To this date, there have been over 170 grass fires and over 100 illegal burning incidents since the beginning of the burn ban, with over 50 citations issued.
A violation of the burn ban is a Class C Misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $500.
For more information related to the burn ban, please contact the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office at 903-590-2655.