Montgomery County Judge Issues Disaster Declaration in Advance of Expected Increased Wildfire Risk

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TX -- Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough has issued an Emergency Disaster Declaration to limit the risk of wildfire in Montgomery County. The Montgomery County Fire Marshal has been closely monitoring our wildfire risk over the past few weeks as drought conditions intensified in our area. Based on current weather forecasts, fire behavior analysts are predicting an increased wildfire risk later this week for much of southeast Texas.

While commercial and residential trash burning is illegal year round in Montgomery County, Judge Keough has issued an order further prohibiting the burning of limbs and leaves gathered by residents on their own personal property. While this is normally the only legal burning allowed in Montgomery County, residents are prohibited from this type of burning as well during the disaster declaration.

While the primary goal of this effort is to educate the public and reduce the risk of wildfire in our community, violators can face significant penalties for failure to comply.

In summary, while most burning, including trash and refuse burning, is banned year round in Montgomery County, all outdoor burning in the County is prohibited during the current disaster declaration.