TYLER COUNTY – The countywide burn ban, which was issued by Tyler County Judge Milton Powers at the beginning of the month, and subsequently ratified by the Tyler County Commissioners Court, will continue.
The decision, announced on Tuesday, comes after a storm that came through the county on Saturday.
According to the county’s emergency management coordinator John Settlocker, the decision came after much discussion, and research of rainfall, along with information from the Texas A&M Forest Service.
“We simply did not get enough rainfall, overall, for the county, and we are in extreme fire danger,” Settlocker said.
A map from the Forest Service currently shows the region under extreme fire danger forecast at least until Wednesday, Oct. 29. Currently there are 144 counties under active burn bans. Some neighboring counties, such as Angelina and Hardin, ended their burn bans after the rainfall.
Settlocker has warned residents of the high fire danger during the prolonged period of insufficient rainfall. The order the county is under cites an imminent threat of “widespread or severe damage, injury or loss of life or property resulting from county-wide drought conditions.” It makes an exception for controlled burns that are conducted by governmental entities.
