Montgomery County Commissioners Court discusses burn ban procedure

Montgomery County Commissioners discussed wildfire prevention after recent rains quelled the need for a burn ban during its Sept. 3 meeting.

The gist

While commissioners did not take action due to recent rains tampering drought concerns, Montgomery County Fire Marshal Jimmy Williams emphasized the importance of educating residents about burn bans. Williams said announcements that burn bans have been lifted can lead some residents to believe they are allowed to burn refuse, despite restrictions that remain in place year-round.

Williams was joined by Jason Millsaps, executive director of homeland security and emergency management. who argued that outlining legal burning during disaster declarations helps to curb confusion.

This concern over burning follows a dry season that put much of the region at risk of wildfires. In March 2025, a wildfire on Pauline Road affected 2,360 acres.

Quote of note

“When counties lift a burn ban, when conditions change, people automatically assume that they can go back to burning,” Millsaps said. “In Montgomery County, it’s already illegal to burn trash on property and subdivisions less than five acres of land. When we put a burn ban on and then lift it, that kind of indicates psychologically that people can go back to burning and they start doing illegal burns.”

Before you go

A complete list of Montgomery County ordinances concerning domestic burning and burn pits can be found here.