Burn ban declared for Young County

Young County Commissioners’ Court put a burn ban in effect late Monday, barring almost all outdoor burning in the county. This means no one can burn trash or brush, or have an open campfire in any unincorporated area of the county. The ban will remain in effect for 90 days (until Nov. 12), unless the court lifts the ban. The only exceptions to the ban are cooking in enclosed pits or burns authorized by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Violation of the ban is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $500. At a previous Commissioner Court meeting the idea was brought up by the commissioners to have a burn ban whenever there was a red flag warning from the National Weather Service. Young County Judge John C. Bullock said at that meeting he would see if it was legal to enact burn bans that way. He reported his findings at the Aug. 15 court meeting. “I did made contact with Jim Allison (general counsel for the County Judges & Commissioners Association of Texas ) and other county judges and there is not a provision known where you can attach a red flag warning from the National Weather Service or the Texas Forest Service to the burn restricting order,” Bullock said. According to Bullock allowing a red flag warning to trigger a burn ban would be a Class C violation for not adhering to laws governing how burn ban notices are created. Young County Commissioner Precinct 4 Jimmy Wiley had asked the court to try to find a way to bring the concept of a red flag warning burn ban to the legislature.