Overview
- County commissioners approved an outdoor burn ban for unincorporated areas in response to a countywide drought determination from the Texas A&M Forest Service.
- The ordinance includes specific exemptions for public-safety burns, firefighting training, utility and pipeline operations, certain agricultural burns, and burns by certified prescribed burn managers.
- Enforcement allows fines of up to $500 for violations and gives commissioners the authority to rescind or extend the restriction beyond its initial time limit.
- Fort Bend joins roughly 200 Texas counties that have imposed similar burn bans, while nearby Harris County does not have a burn ban in place.
- The ban aims to reduce wildfire risk during dry conditions and could affect residents and rural businesses that commonly use outdoor burning for land management or debris disposal.