BEAUMONT, Texas — Amid drastically dry weather, all of Southeast Texas is under burn bans.
The bans are designed to be a preventative measure to reduce the risk of homes and properties catching fire and to protect area residents.
Officials in Liberty County issued a burn on Wednesday. Hardin County officials extended the county's burn ban for 30 more days.
Hardin County Judge McDaniel believes the 30-day reinstatement of the burn ban is essential to keep people and first responders safe.
“We aren't trying to take people's rights away when we make these decisions,” Judge McDaniel said. “We are just trying to protect life and property."
County officials and rangers at the Big Thicket are encouraging area residents to listen to and follow burn bans during dry weather conditions. They feel Southeast Texans have to work together to keep each other safe.
“We rarely issue our own burn ban,” Megan Urban, wildlife ranger, said. “We usually follow what the county officials say. Of course, the county and the fire management offices talk with the same people. Saying, ‘Hey, this is not a good time for burning things, so we enforce that for county lands.'"
Wildfires could have devastating impacts on wildlife reserves like the Big Thicket.
Officials at the A&M Forest Service are working to help people understand the "why" behind a burn ban.
“When we respond to a wild-fire it's often to debris burning, and they will say, ‘I didn't know there was a burn ban,’” Ryan Burns, Texas A&M Forest Service public information officer, said, “A part of our mission is to raise awareness for that. Then have folks be aware of the weather we have been having.”
Those who get caught burning during a burn ban could be fined up to $500.