Commissioners discuss wildfire disaster declaration and the option to declare locally

Freestone County commissioners discussed a recent statewide wildfire disaster declaration during the Oct. 9 meeting and considered whether the county should file its own local declaration.

One commissioner noted that the governor had declared many counties under a statewide wildfire disaster and said the county had submitted or planned to submit a local letter to the governor to ensure coverage and access to potential resources if a major local wildfire occurs. Commissioners discussed the option to declare locally and confirmed the county can enact its own declaration without waiting for the statewide directive.

There was no motion or vote recorded in the transcript to adopt a local disaster declaration during the meeting. Commissioners characterized the item as a preparedness consideration and said staff would continue to monitor conditions and coordinate with the governor’s office and neighboring counties as needed.