EMERGENCY ORDER PROHIBITING OUTDOOR BURNING

WHEREAS, the Texas Local Government Code provides that the County Judge of a county, by order, may prohibit outdoor burning in the unincorporated area of the county if the County Judge makes a finding that circumstances present in the unincorporated area create a public safety hazard that would be exacerbated by outdoor burning; and if the County Judge has declared a disaster in accordance with the Texas Disaster Act of 1975, as amended, and

WHEREAS, An extended period of hot and dry weather will combine with increasing southerly winds and low humidity by the latter part of the week. This will lead to an increase in the grass fire threat across the region. Highs will top out between 99-102 degrees with humidity below 25%. Winds will also increase to 15 to 25 mph at times which will help any grass fires spread; and,

WHEREAS, Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) is above 500 and increasing. With a KBDI above 500, lower litter and duff layers contribute to fire intensity and will burn actively. Wildfire intensity begins to increase significantly. Larger fuels could burn or smolder for several days; and,

WHEREAS, the Bell County Judge does hereby find that circumstances present in the unincorporated areas of Bell County create a public safety hazard that would be exacerbated by certain outdoor burning; and,

BE IT THEREFORE ORDERED that the following emergency regulations are hereby established for portions of the unincorporated areas of Bell County, Texas that are not subject to public ownership or stewardship for the duration of the above mentioned declaration:

1. Actions Prohibited:
   • Except as described hereinafter, a person violates this order if he ignites or causes ignition of any combustible or vegetative material outside of an enclosure which serves to contain all flames and/or sparks, or orders such burning or ignition by others.
2. Enforcement:
   1. Under notification of suspected outdoor burning, the fire department assigned to the location of the fire shall respond to the scene and take immediate measures to contain and to extinguish the fire.
   2. If requested by a fire official, a duly-commissioned peace officer, when available, shall be sent to the scene to investigate the nature of the
   3. In accordance with Section 081 of the Local Government Code, a person who knowingly or intentionally violates this order commits a Class C Misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $500.
3. If the responding peace officer finds that the person responsible for the fire is in violation of (1) above, a citation shall be issued for: Violation of Bum Ban Order.
4. This order shall not apply to the outdoor burning of vegetative material caused by welding or by other causes relating to the act of welding, if such burning is not malicious or intentional.
5. This order shall not prohibit other lawful burning as may be permissible by rules established by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Be it also ORDERED that the purpose of this prohibition of outdoor burning is the mitigation of the public safety hazard posed by wildfires during the current dry weather period by curtailing the practice of outdoor burning, which purpose is to be taken into account in any enforcement action based upon this order.

THIS ORDER SHALL TAKE EFFECT AT 7:00 PM, TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2026 EXPIRING AT 7:00 PM ON FRIDAY AUGUST 21, 2026, UNLESS OTHERWISE EXTENDED BY ORDER OF THE BELL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT.