Today, September 20, 2011, the Tarrant County Commissioner's Court approved an extension of an Outdoor Burning Ban for Tarrant County for the next 90 days.

All outdoor burning in Tarrant County is PROHIBITED.

The unincorporated areas of Tarrant County have been determined to be under drought conditions by the Texas Forest Service and the Tarrant County Fire Marshal requested the Ban on Outdoor Burning in an effort to protect lives and properties of the residents in Tarrant County.

The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has informed the Fire Marshal’s Office that for Tarrant County to pull out of the drought it would need between 12 to 15 inches of rain.  The NWS also stated that their forecast for fall, winter and early spring show higher than normal temperatures and lower than normal rainfall.

A violation of the Court Order Prohibiting Outdoor Burning is a class C Misdemeanor and punishable of a fine up to $500.00.

We urge all residents of Tarrant County to help us during this time.

For our residents in the rural areas, we suggest that you make sure that you keep an area of about 30 feet mowed around your home and out buildings to prevent a fire from reaching your structures.

Outdoor Cooking:
http://www.tarrantcounty.com/egov/cwp/view.asp?A=733&Q=476612

Welding Guidelines:
http://www.tarrantcounty.com/egov/cwp/view.asp?A=733&Q=476619

For more information about the burn ban, please call the Fire Marshal's Office at 817-838-4660.