Leon County enacts burn ban as fire danger rises
LEON COUNTY, Texas (KBTX) – Leon County Emergency Management issued a burn ban Monday morning.
An emergency meeting was called Sunday between Leon County Emergency Management and Leon County fire chiefs. The burn ban was enacted shortly after.
“We’re getting a handle on it now before the fire hazard is just through the roof,” Centerville Volunteer Firefighter Colton Adams, said.
According to Adams, there were around a dozen fires just on Sunday. In 2023, Leon County saw over a hundred fires during peak fire season.
County Judge Byron Ryder cited high winds, temperatures, and fires breaking out in several counties as the reason behind the burn ban.
Despite this, the past few weeks saw rainfall and flooding across the Brazos Valley. As a result, Adams said some are skeptical as to whether a burn ban is even necessary.
He said the fire risk is still growing, even if some areas of Leon County are still damp.
“It might rain on one side of the hill but not the other, and that’s what we’re facing with people wanting to burn,” he added.
Judge Ryder said it’s about making the public aware of the risks of burning before peak fire season sets in.
“They’ll think more about burning, and what they’re burning and where they’re burning,” he remarked.
His priority is preventing damage from occurring. He said residents have done ‘real well’ in watching how and what they’re burning, and the ban should be a temporary measure.
According to Judge Ryder, the burn ban is in place to prevent controlled burns from getting out of control. He plans to lift the ban once the wind slows down, and is monitoring conditions closely.
“I don’t plan on keeping it on any length of time. Just, it’s time to get us through this, this wind and lack of rain,” he said.
Leon County is currently the only county in the Brazos Valley with an active burn ban.
