A burn ban is in effect for Bastrop County through Oct. 14.

The details

This latest emergency order prohibiting outdoor burning took effect Sept. 25.

“The purpose of this order is the mitigation of the public safety hazard posed by wildfires during the current dry weather conditions by curtailing the practice of outdoor burning,” the emergency order, signed by Bastrop County Judge Gregory Klaus, states.

Bastrop County outlined the following enforcement measures if there is an outdoor fire:

• Fire departments responding to a scene to contain and extinguish the fire
• A peace officer being sent to the scene to investigate the nature of the fire
• A fine up to $500 if an individual knowingly violates the emergency order

A full list of activities allowed and prohibited during a burn ban can be accessed on the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality website.

Some background

Bastrop County also issued a disaster declaration on Sept. 18, and cited several factors, including:

• A lack of rainfall for an extended period of time
• The dry conditions posing a risk of large, dangerous and fast-moving wildfires
• Meteorologists not forecasting a change in the dry conditions in the near future

All of Bastrop County is experiencing drought conditions with approximately 97.5% in moderate drought and about 2.5% in severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

“The latest drought map for conditions as of Sept. 16 shows the largest one-week increase in the area of the state impacted by drought since April 2025,” Mark Wentzel, a hydrologist with the Office of Water Science and Conservation, said in his latest Water Weekly report. “In the last week, drought expanded in Central and South Texas and a new pocket of drought developed near San Angelo."

What else?

Residents can contact James Altgelt, the Bastrop County emergency management coordinator, with questions at 512-581-4022.