Parker County enacts 60‑day burn ban after fire marshal warns of elevated wildfire risk

The Parker County Commissioners Court voted 5‑0 on Feb. 23 to adopt a 60‑day countywide burn ban after fire officials described a recent spike in grass fires and warned that local resources had been strained.

Fire Marshal Watson told the court that since Jan. 1 the county had reported “quite a few grass fires” and that on one date there were 11 fires in a roughly four‑hour span. “So the fire marshal's office recommendation that we implement a 90 day burn ban,” Watson said during the meeting, adding that crews were often fully committed during surge periods. Commissioners debated the scope and length of a ban and agreed to shorten the initial proposal; the commissioner who moved the measure revised the motion to a 60‑day ban and the court approved it, with the presiding officer announcing the vote as unanimous.

Commissioners discussed exemptions and implementation. The court emphasized that agricultural prescribed burns and other permitted burns under a prescribed‑burn manager would still be allowed under defined conditions, including the use of spotters and water sources as required by the fire marshal’s office. Several commissioners asked staff to review and streamline the prescribed‑burn manager process for landowners who need to conduct agricultural burns.

The ban will take effect immediately; the court also directed staff to place the item on future agendas so the body can revisit the ban at regular meetings or call a special session to rescind it earlier if substantial rainfall or changing conditions warrant it.