HOUSTON – Harris County could join many other southeast Texas counties Tuesday in banning any burning due to dangerously dry conditions in the region.
The decision will be made by the Harris County Commissioners Court at the express request made by the County Fire Department.
Harris is one of the few counties in the metropolitan area that does not fall under this ban.
Last Friday, County Fire Marshal Laurie Christensen noted that there have been 15 fires a day recently in unincorporated Harris.
Several of the fires have been caused by cigarette butts, Christensen noted.
A resident of the Catalina Foothills area of Tucson received an unexpected visitor. The terrifying moment was caught on video.
The Commissioners Court will meet this Tuesday for the first time after it was learned that the executive administrator Lina Hidalgo went on medical leave to treat clinical depression.
The court will be presided over by Commissioner Rodney Ellis, the corporation’s most senior member.
If the firefighters’ request is approved, the burning ban will take effect immediately.
Typically, burn bans are issued for 90 days or until the Texas Forest Service says the hazardous conditions have been overcome.
The National Weather Service issued a “Red Flag Warning” for Austin, Colorado, Washington, Burleson and Brazos counties until midnight Tuesday.
This means that there is an imminent risk of forest fires in those areas, due to the intense heat, as well as the low humidity in the environment (25 to 30%) and the winds gusting to 25mph. This carries a high risk that any fire that is generated will spread rapidly.
