County to end burn ban

Tue, May 13 2008

— Galen Scott
gscott@weatherforddemocrat.com
At a special meeting Wednesday, Parker County Commissioners decided property owners outside city limits can start burning rubbish again, beginning 8 a.m. Saturday.
Following heavy rains Tuesday, Assistant Fire Marshal J.C. Travis recommended lifting the burn ban, provided commissioners agree to revisit the issue “from court-to-court.”
“Conditions have improved, but, of course, conditions could change dramatically, so we recommend keeping this item on the agenda,” Travis said.
Parker County implemented outdoor burning restrictions in January as wild fires destroyed homes and property around the county. The second of two 30-day burn bans was scheduled to expire April 4.
Travis suggested farmers and ranchers hoping to burn spring pasture land may want to consider offering a donation to their local volunteer fire department, in exchange for stand-by vigilance during controlled burns.
“The increased [fire] volumes we’ve had are having a tremendous impact on these [volunteer] departments,” he explained. “With diesel at $4 a gallon, some of their budget money is going faster than expected.”
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