RUSK COUNTY, Texas — The intense heat East Texas is experiencing this summer is not going anywhere anytime soon. Officials are warning residents that if we don’t get any heavy amounts of rain, then dry conditions could worsen leaving us vulnerable to wildfires.
As of Monday burning brush on private property is still legal for residents to do. But, Charles Clanton with the Smith County Emergency Services Department 2 said he's urging anyone burning to take extra precautions.
"As we progress with 110, 112-degree temperatures, if we don't get rainfall you can find yourself in a week or two in a situation where we begin to have some fires," Clanton said.
If you do decide to burn on your property, Clanton recommends burning in small controllable quantities and using a profound amount of common sense. He urges residents to not leave a fire unattended and to keep a water hose close and handy.
Although our area has gotten some rain recently Clanton said it may not be enough.
"I know we've had quite a bit of beneficial rain predominantly in Northeast Texas," Clanton said. "But there are some areas that remain rain free and are very dry."
There are currently no burn bans in effect within any East Texas counties, but Rusk County Fire Marshal Patrick Dooley said he’s been keeping up with his commissioners about the recent weather pattern. He states that if things don’t change soon the county could be enacting a burn ban themselves.
"Whether they want to know about it or not I try to keep them informed on everything going on," Dooley said. "Our commissioners are great, the more information you give them the better off they are. They want to know what's going on with their constituents in their areas."
Dooley said in their upcoming meeting in August a burn ban is a topic up for discussion. Until then he also wants to make sure residents are taking precautions when burning brush. He urges locals to not burn during the middle of a hot day.
"Number one that's bad for you and we don't want people getting dehydrated and falling out because when you fall out then the fire gets out of control. We've got to mitigate it and use common sense when it's time to burn," Dooley said.
Dooley also mentioned that local volunteer fire departments are in need of more people. To find out how to get involved he recommends checking in with your local volunteer fire department to find ways you can contribute to your community.
If you want to keep up with the latest on which counties are in a current burn ban you can click this link here.