SMITH COUNTY, Texas — As drought conditions worsen, the Smith County Fire Marshal's Office is discouraging outdoor burning.
Although Smith County is not under a burn ban yet, officials are encouraging people to use extreme caution if conducting any operation outdoors that could cause a fire.
Even thought the Keetch-Byram Drought Index remains in the low 500 range for Smith County, it is expected to rise daily if the area doesn’t receive significant rainfall.
Historically, Smith County has implemented a burn ban when the KBDI reaches the mid-600 to 700 range.
Officials are continuing to monitor weather conditions and forecasts, along with the daily incident responses from fire departments throughout the county.
Currently, incident responses to grass and other fires are approximately half the amount as compared to this time last year.
While people are encouraged to postpone any outdoor burning, they should follow strict safety precautions if choosing to do so.
The Smith County Fire Marshal's Office is asking that any operation should be monitored at all times, as unattended fires can quickly grow when wind conditions change.
It is important to keep a water source and shovels or rakes nearby in case a fire begins to spread.