Williamson County commissioners did not place a ban on fireworks sales at their June 11 meeting, but not all parts of the county are in equal shape when it comes to the threat of fire.

Jarred Thomas, emergency management coordinator for the county, said Williamson County as a whole is not in enough of a drought to ban the use of rockets with fins and missiles with sticks in areas outside city limits. He mentioned, however, that there is still a threat of potential fires.

"The northwest part of the county is fine, but the southeast part of the county is not," Thomas said. "We had a fairly significant fire yesterday and had to evacuate three homes."

A wildland fire in Copeland, located on the southeastern edge of Williamson County, prompted a precautionary evacuation of three homes June 10. No property was destroyed, Thomas said.

As of June 11, Williamson County registered at 462 on the Keetch-Bryam Drought Index scale, on which zero represents no moisture depletion and 800 represents absolutely dry conditions, according to the Texas Weather Connection website.

For the commissioners to place a ban on fireworks sales, the county must register 575 or higher on the KBDI scale.

"We may be close [to 575] by the time the Fourth of July rolls around," Thomas said. "We have until June 15 [to make the decision], except there's no posted meeting between now and then. ... I don't see us getting there even from where we're at now."

Northwestern portions of Williamson County registered between 300 and 500 on the scale June 11. Central and southeastern parts of the county, however, were between 400 and 600 on the KBDI scale.

"We've had some rain, enough to get grasses growing real well. It's just that time of the year [in which] we start drying out," Thomas said. "I'd suggest anyone using fireworks anywhere be careful. Just because the ground is moist doesn't mean [fireworks users are] not in dry, dead grass or near other dry vegetation. Unless we get significant rain between now and the Fourth of July, conditions will continue to deteriorate."