Potter County extends 90-day burn ban as drought conditions persist in area

From Staff Reports
·2 min read

During Monday's regular meeting, the Potter County Commissioners' Court approved a 90-day burn ban extension in the county.

Potter County Fire and Rescue said the burn ban was put in place "due to persistent hot, dry and windy weather conditions such that outdoor burning in unincorporated areas of the County would present a public hazard," according to a news release.

The last burn ban would have expired April 9, and Monday's vote extends the current ban to July 9.

According to the National Weather Service Amarillo office, Thursday and Friday will be windy days as they expect critical fire weather across the west on Thursday and the entire area on Friday. Wind guests could be up to 45 mph, with a 10 percent chance of 60 mph gusts in some areas. "Please secure loose objects in preparation for the wind, and practice proper fire safety," the office said via Facebook on Tuesday.

Drought conditions persist in the Texas Panhandle region, including Potter and Randall counties, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Drought conditions persist in the Texas Panhandle region, including Potter and Randall counties, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Potter County Fire and Rescue said it has already responded to wildfires in the area this year, and without significant precipitation, the danger will continue to grow.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor's latest data issued March 21, Potter and Randall counties are both in Severe Drought, with portions of the northern part of the Texas Panhandle in Extreme or Exceptional Drought levels.

In addition, Randall County commissioners voted to extend the county's 90-day burn ban during last week's meeting.

In 2017, Texas had more than 9,000 wildfires that consumed over 700,000 acres, Potter County Fire and Rescue noted in the release.

Texas A&M Forest Service said in March that the state agency and local fire departments responded to 124 wildfires for 2,970 acres burned across the state. Twenty-three of these wildfires occurred over the past seven days and burned a total 165 acres.

For more information on affected outdoor burning activities, see www.co.potter.tx.us .

For statewide information on wildfire conditions, see https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/TexasBurnBans/ .

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Potter County extends 90-day burn ban as drought conditions persist