Officials continue to warn of fire danger

RUSK COUNTY – The Texas A&M Forest Service said that despite recent rainfall, East Texans must do their part to prevent future fires. According our news partner KETK, there are currently 27 East Texas counties under an active burn ban, and the forest service said they are raising awareness so the public will hopefully listen. Officials said even though it rained Thursday it will take consistent rainfall for things to go back to normal, and stress that those who violate burn bans will be fined. “We’re going to have to take a zero tolerance approach to burn ban violations,” Rusk County Fire Marshal Terry Linder said. “The best advice is please heed the burn ban in your county, if not, you’ll likely receive a citation.”

Officials with the forest service also warned against driving and parking on tall, dry grass, and said it could unknowingly ignite a fire. “If it’s windy,” Dugan said. “The fire just takes off and starts running.” Dugan advises drivers to avoid pulling into grass from a highway and instead find an area with asphalt. He also said catalytic converters can reach 1,500 to 2,000 degrees. The forest service said in order to prevent these fires we must understand what starts them, so the amount of reported fires can go down.