“Significantly low rainfall and prolonged dry conditions continue to increase the threat of wildfire across portions of Texas,” Abbott said in a tweet.
The Texas A&M Forest Service encourages residents to obey local laws and avoid outdoor activities that can cause a spark. There are 195 Texas counties under burn bans. This is the highest number of active burn bans in Texas since November 2011, according to the forest service.
In the Austin metropolitan area, the counties under the disaster declaration include Comal, Guadalupe, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties.Today, 195 Texas counties are under a burn ban - the most the state has seen since November of 2011. With drought and rising temperatures, fuels, or grasses, become drought stressed and vulnerable to sparking wildfires. pic.twitter.com/xsUCKlHC47
— Texas A&M Forest Service (@TXForestService) July 8, 2022
In the Houston area, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris and Waller counties are impacted. Montgomery County is not included in the declaration.
Tarrant County is included in the declaration, but the Dallas-Fort Worth area counties of Collin, Dallas and Denton are not impacted.
Bexar County, which includes San Antonio, is under the disaster declaration.
