Coryell County Burn Ban Remains Active Amid Ongoing Wildfire Concerns

Coryell County has remained under an active outdoor burn ban for more than two weeks, with county commissioners and the county judge keeping the restriction in place as dry conditions persist across the area despite scattered rainfall. Gatesville Fire Department Deputy Chief Bobby Buster offered a blunt assessment of current conditions: "We are very, very dry. Very dry. We've got some moisture in the last week or so, that's brought it up."

That modest uptick in moisture has not convinced officials to lift the prohibition. Buster cautioned against the assumption that rain is imminent enough to make burning safe. "That's the biggest misconception," he said. "They're thinking that they can't, but it's going to rain. Eventually, they're going to get to burn it." He added that agricultural burns are not automatically off the table, but require proper preparation: "If it's agriculture, you can burn, but you just have to get it set up and have your water there on site."

The danger is not limited to dry brush. Wind adds a separate layer of risk even on days that appear calm. Buster explained that winds exceeding 22 miles per hour trigger their own restriction. "We may be under a burn ban right now, but it could be a windy day too, and we're under a burn ban for that day if the winds are over 22 miles an hour," he said. "So that's most of the time when people get in trouble because they think it was a pretty day, but the winds are projected to be too high that day, and you can't burn. That's the TCQ rule."

Just days before the FOX 44 report, firefighters responded to a fire near FM-107 linked to outdoor burning. Buster described the outcome as relatively fortunate: "We had one on FM-107, but I mean, it was fairly easy to put out." He credited the county's mutual-aid response structure, noting that Coryell typically sends two or three departments to fires rather than one, as a key factor in containing incidents before they spread.

Not every situation ends that cleanly. Out-of-control fires have burned hundreds and hundreds of acres in Central Texas, Buster noted, and anyone whose fire crosses a property line faces legal consequences. "They can get a ticket if it gets on somebody else's property," he said. "They're responsible for that property."

Coryell's situation contrasts with some neighboring counties that saw relief after rainfall in mid-February. Bell County Judge David Blackburn lifted his county's burn ban on Feb. 14, two days ahead of the planned expiration date, after rain improved moisture conditions. Lampasas County also lifted its ban around that time. Coryell, however, remained on a list of counties still under active bans alongside Hill, Limestone, Leon, Freestone, Burleson, Milam, and Madison as of Feb. 17, and the restriction continued into early March.

Residents with questions about the current ban status, any exceptions that may apply, or reporting requirements for agricultural burns should contact the Coryell County Judge's office or the Gatesville Fire Department directly before conducting any outdoor burning.