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Brazos County emergency manager warns of drying conditions, urges caution on outdoor burning
Summary
Emergency Management Coordinator Jason Ware told commissioners that drought indices show the county moving from 'abnormally dry' toward drought conditions and urged residents to be cautious with outdoor burning; local fire chiefs were monitoring conditions and some neighboring counties already have burn bans.
Brazos County’s emergency management coordinator, Jason Ware, told the Commissioners Court on Sept. 30 that the county has experienced a marked dry‑down over the last week and that the U.S. Drought Monitor currently shows the county as abnormally dry.
Ware said the county’s average drought index had increased by the equivalent of roughly 47 points in the prior seven days and that, barring rain, the county could move into drought conditions within two weeks. He reported recent small grass fires (about five acres total) that local fire departments contained and said the county’s fire chiefs were monitoring the situation; Robertson and Madison counties had already issued burn bans.
Ware urged residents to avoid outdoor burning and to take precautions if they do burn, and he said he will provide weekly wildfire reports to the court.
Why it matters: drier-than-normal conditions raise wildfire risk for county residents, farms and infrastructure. Early monitoring and communication help local fire departments and the public prepare and reduce accidental ignitions.
Ending: Ware said he would continue to update the court weekly and recommended residents exercise caution about open burning until precipitation raises fuel moisture.
