Texas County keeps burn ban off for July 4, despite fire warning
Texas County commissioners left the burn ban off for July 4 in a 3-0 vote, while Guymon fire chief Grant Wadley warned fireworks and dry grass still raise the risk.
Texas County commissioners kept the burn ban off for the rest of the week, including July 4, after a 3-0 vote Monday morning. The decision allowed residents to discharge fireworks for Independence Day, but Guymon Fire Chief Grant Wadley warned that danger rises when fireworks are involved and dry conditions are still present. County fire departments were placed on increased alert and response readiness as the holiday weekend approached.
The move was temporary. Texas County has been revisiting the burn-ban question every seven days, a pattern that reflects how quickly fire conditions can shift across the Oklahoma Panhandle. Under Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry guidance, county burn bans are based on predicted weather, the long-term forecast, wildland fuel conditions, current fire behavior and fire occurrences. State rules also limit county-issued burn bans to no more than 14 days unless officials rescind or renew them, and commissioners must decide whether a ban is needed with advice from county fire chiefs before notifying state agencies and local media.
The July 4 decision came after a similar call earlier this month. On June 8, commissioners lifted a burn ban after reviewing fire chiefs’ input, forecast weather patterns and recent fire activity. Wadley said at the time that rainfall had only produced some greening in parts of the county and had not made rain-deprived areas safe for controlled burns. The latest vote kept that balancing act in place, with officials choosing to avoid a ban while still watching weather and fuel conditions closely.
Wadley’s warning carried extra weight because of the department’s limited size and reach. The Guymon Fire Department serves about 525 square miles and roughly 15,000 residents, with 47 firefighters covering the county seat and surrounding areas. Wadley has led the department since October 2019 and has been with it since 1995, giving him a long view of how quickly a holiday fire call can escalate.
That concern was sharpened by last year’s holiday activity. During the July 4 weekend in 2025, Guymon firefighters handled six dumpster fires caused by improper fireworks disposal and two grass fires, one of them tied to fireworks. With the county keeping the ban off this year, landowners, fireworks users and emergency responders enter the holiday weekend watching the same variables: wind, dryness and how fast a celebration can turn into a run on fire crews.
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