Colorado County Texas

Burn Ban Status

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Colorado County Emergency Management requests that prior to starting any controlled burning (woodpiles, fields or large refuse piles), please call the Colorado County Communications Center at 979-732-2388, option 2.  They will ask you for the location and a contact number.  By doing this you will help prevent the needless dispatching of volunteer fire departments and will also receive information if a Burn Ban or Red Flag Warning is in place.  

A Red Flag Warning can be issued by the National Weather Service or the Colorado County Office of Emergency Management. 

A Red Flag Warning from the NWS is based on warm temperatures, very low humidity, and when stronger winds are expected.  These together can produce an increased risk of fire danger.  NWS Red Flag Warnings are issued with a specific time period and may or may not be re-issued.

A Red Flag Warning from the Office of Emergency Management will be based on the above local conditions including:

• the local Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KDBI) numbers for our county,
• the amount of dead surface vegetation
• the number of control burns that have gotten out of control and needed Volunteer Fire Department(s) intervention
• the number of fire departments that are involved in firefighting operations
• forecast weather condition

Red Flag Warnings issued by CCOEM last for a 24 hour period and expire at 0630  (6:30 a.m.) the following day. Conditions are re-evaluated daily and the warning is allowed to expire or is re-issued for the next 24 hour period.

A Red Flag Warning is not enforceable as a Burn Ban Order.  Compliance is voluntary and respectfully requested.

• Texas A&M Forest Service
  Texas Counties Burn Ban Map^(PNG)
  Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI)^{link will open in a new window/tab)}