Smith County Burn Ban Extended

TYLER — The current burn ban in Smith County was extended for 90 days by the Smith County Commissioners Court during a regular meeting Tuesday morning. Smith County Fire Marshal Jim Seaton recommended the burn ban’s extension due to continuing extreme drought conditions and the likelihood of a severe winter fire season. “We are expecting the severity of our fire situation to increase as we enter winter and the little bit of live foliage we still have dies off,” Seaton said.

Since July 1, the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office has recorded 563 fire responses, 372 burn ban warnings, 156 burn ban citations and three counts of reckless destruction of property. Smith County has also had 25 structures and 34 vehicles destroyed or damaged in wildfires. Seaton cautioned that the burn ban extension will restrict many popular seasonal activities and products that involve an open flame including the use of camp fires, porch chimneys and fire pits, “tiki-torches,” mosquito candles and turkey fryers. “We sympathize with burden the burn ban places on the citizens, but we in the fire service see no other alternative,” Seaton said. Supervised outdoor grilling with a covered grilling device is not prohibited under the burn ban. You can visit http://www.smith-county.com for a full copy of the burn ban and all ordinance restrictions.