Montgomery County voted unanimously to approve a countywide burn ban at a Commissioner's Court special meeting July 5.
County Fire Marshal Jimmy Williams said at the meeting a burn ban would not have affected any of the 30 fireworks-related grass fire calls the fire departments responded to July 4.
"A burn ban right now really only would affect a resident who is cleaning up their yard, picking up a few limbs, raking their leaves, and trying to burn those, so we are going to be restricting that with a burn ban," Williams said.
He said the largest fire was about 7 acres, most likely due to a lightning strike that lingered from July 1 and 2 storms. All of the other fires were about an acre in size and were quickly put out.
Williams addressed the differences between 2011 and this year. He said the county has more firefighters on duty daily than it had in the entire county in 2011 along with dozens of staffed stations that respond quickly to calls.
The Keetch Byram Drought Index went over 650 this weekend, which indicates a higher fire risk, according to Williams.
Williams recommended the county could do a burn ban to be cautious and proactive, especially because if the county experiences a weather event or dry winds similar to 2011, the fire risk increases significantly.
"We are not that dry yet, but we are getting there," Williams said.
