Burn ban lifted for VZC, disaster declaration extended
County Fire Marshal Chuck Allen recommended that the burn ban be lifted Sept. 14.
The burn ban put in place for Van Zandt County Aug. 11 has been lifted.
County commissioners met Sept. 14 with County Fire Marshal Chuck Allen to hear his recommendation concerning the burn ban.
A burn ban was placed on the county for a period of 90 days, as approved by the Van Zandt County commissioner’s court Aug. 11.
At that time, the Keetch-Bryam Drought Index used by the Texas A&M Forestry Service to predict fire danger for the area, rated that the county was in dangerous range and the level was expected to rise.
Allen told commissioners that the county was at a level of 700 with the max level being 800 and said without significant rains the county would remain under a ban.
But, due to recent rains, Allen told commissioners that he felt like the burn ban could be lifted.
“We are still dry, but we can allow people to go ahead and burn their big brush piles and stuff like that. There is still some green vegetation around also.”
Despite the recent rain, Allen predicted that the county would likely go under a burn ban again because of the dry weather predicted.
“I am pretty confident that we will be back in this dry pattern again. But you never know what Texas weather will throw at you. My recommendation is to lift the burn ban. We can always reinstate the burn ban if we need to. As long as it is green, people can get out there and we can let them burn what they need to.”
Commissioners also amended the adoption of the 2015 tax rate for VZC and order setting rate.
