La Salle orders 90-day burn ban

La Salle County commissioners agreed Monday, February 10, to issue a 90-day ban on all outdoor burning, citing ongoing drought conditions as putting the region in immediate danger of potentially life-threatening wildfires.

The move came after La Salle County Fire Rescue Chief Daniel Mendez addressed the court with statistics from the Texas Forest Service indicating that the majority of the county is presently in severe danger of wildfires due to the lack of significant rain for several weeks.

The northern portion of the county, according to Mendez, is at higher risk and should be considered in extreme danger of wildfires.

The ban continues through May 12 and prohibits all outdoor burning of trash and brush, and orders that any prescribed agricultural burns be approved by county officials.

Area residents are advised to exercise extreme caution when using any fire outdoors, including campfires and barbecues that must be screened, and welding equipment. Vehicles should not be parked on tall grass, where hot engines or exhausts may ignite the dry brush.

Chief Mendez said a recent meeting with Forest Service officials revealed that La Salle County is “presently at the same risk of wildfire as three years ago,” when uncontrolled blazes swept hundreds of acres of the open country near Los Angeles and numerous roadside fires spread quickly, threatening lives and property.

“My fear is that when people burn brush, they are not paying attention to the weather and to dry conditions on the ground,” the fire chief said on Monday. “People are burning leaves, and it quickly gets out of control. We had three incidents already this weekend.

“La Salle County is presently the driest across the region as far as Del Rio,” Mendez added. “We have not had enough rain, and it is not predicted to happen. Last month’s freeze left us with a lot of grass and brush that is now dead and dry, easy to ignite. Three years ago, between February and April, we recorded over three hundred and fifty fires.”

The burn ban was executed on a motion by Comm. Raul Ayala, seconded by Comm. Jack Alba and supported unanimously.