Officials expecting more burn bans in East Texas

RUSK COUNTY — Some county officials in East Texas are looking at the possibility of more burn bans being issued in the near future due to high temperatures and a lack of rain. “We know that the burn ban is coming,” said John Clary, Henderson Economic Development Corporation. Houston and Polk counties are now under a local state of disaster. Compared with 2022, 27 out of 28 East Texas counties were under a burn ban by mid-July. Rusk County Fire Marshal Patrick Dooley told our news partner KETK that conditions are relatively similar in the area compared to Houston County. Dooley said he and the rest of his team are watching the conditions daily to see what could happen next if things continue to get worse. Dooley said it’s something they don’t want to do but might have to do because of the conditions.

Dooley is expecting a burn ban to be put in place in Rusk County in the next couple of weeks. “I’ve already briefed our commissioners and the county judge on the possibility of having a burn ban here in effect in the next few weeks,” he said.