Residents of Cotulla are barred from any outdoor burning for a period during which temperatures are expected to soar and little rainfall is forecast.
A motion to renew the city’s burn ban was passed unanimously on Tuesday evening, May 13, but is effective for only one month, and councilors expect to revisit the order at their next meeting on June 12.
Present at the council meeting last week was La Salle County Commissioner Erasmo Ramirez, who said he believed a countywide burn ban had expired the previous day.
County burn bans apply to all unincorporated areas and are effective for 90 days. They are enacted by commissioners upon recommendations from the Texas Forest Service and local emergency responders.
“The next eight days are high risk,” Mayor Sandra Luna said of forecast temperatures in triple digits earlier than usual in the year. “It doesn’t hurt to do a monthly burn ban.”
Under the order, residents may not ignite trash or brush, make bonfires or conduct agricultural burns without prior permission from city or county authorities. Outdoor workers using welding equipment or cutting torches are urged to take precautions to prevent sparks from igniting grasses and brush; and motorists are reminded not to park vehicles in grassy areas.
Violations of the order are prosecuted as misdemeanors and punishable by fines of up to $500.
