Jim Wells County warns residents on brush disposal rules, fire risk

Residents from Alice to Orange Grove, Premont and San Diego face a simple rule with real consequences: keep brush and debris out of the county’s roadways and follow disposal rules, or risk a warning that can turn into a citation. Jim Wells County moved to tighten enforcement after commissioners passed a No Litter Ordinance in November 2025, as fire danger climbed and debris kept building along county roads.

Precinct 1 Commissioner George Aguilar said the county would start with a 30-day notice from the sheriff’s department or safety office, or by letter, before issuing citations if people did not comply. He said the cleanup costs add up fast, estimating that three weeks of debris pickup could run about $8,000 in landfill fees alone. That price tag has pushed the county to treat brush and roadside dumping as both a nuisance and a budget problem.

The fire risk is just as direct. Texas A&M Forest Service says debris burning is the number one cause of human-caused wildfires, and the agency warns that careless debris burning is behind the largest share of those fires in Texas. State law gives counties the power to restrict outdoor burning when drought conditions exist or when commissioners decide burning would worsen a public-safety hazard. Violating a county burn ban can be a Class C misdemeanor, with fines commonly described as up to $500.

Jim Wells County has already used that authority before. County officials approved a burn ban effective Nov. 22, 2024, and posted a voluntary burn-ban notice on May 16, 2022. The county’s latest warning suggests officials are still watching closely as dry, windy conditions can turn a routine cleanup into a fire threat.

In Alice, residents do have some disposal options. The city says it provides brush pickup at least twice a year on a route basis and offers one annual mixed-debris-and-brush pickup at no additional cost to customers. County and city leaders have also been working together on a plan to combat illegal dumping, signaling that roadside brush, yard debris and larger dumping problems are being handled as part of the same enforcement push. For homeowners and property owners, the message is clear: handle brush through the approved pickup systems, and keep it off the roadside before a cleanup turns into a fine.