SMITH COUNTY, Texas — Smith County joins the list of counties that are no longer under a burn ban in East Texas. With the recent rainfall, the drought index has decreased making it safe for locals to burn outdoors again in Smith County.
"We've had a drought (and) the lakes were low. With the lack of rain has really been tough on farmers and ranchers," said Neal Franklin, Smith County Judge.
Franklin said farmers and ranchers were not the only ones affected by the long stretch of dry weather.
"It's also been tough on our first responders, the ESDS, our fire marshal's office (and) everybody involved there. It has been really challenging," Franklin said.
For two months, the burn ban was in place.
During that time, the Smith County Fire Marshal’s office reported a total of 712 fire related incidents with 59 citations issued for illegal burning.
The owner of EcoVance Landscaping Jose Maldonado said the drought has had a big impact on his business.
"With no rain, we've kind of had to go from our weekly mowing to bi-weekly, and it's even to extend it to once a month," Maldonado said.
He adds it’s been tough on some of his clients as well who are used to stockpiling their waste and burning it. Locals had to resort to reaching out to landscape or tree service companies to properly dispose of the trash, Maldonado said.
Franklin said even though is no longer in place he says residents should use caution when it comes to burning items.