Denton County's Burn Ban Is Active — and the Firefighters Covering It Are Already Out on Other Fires

That debris pile you've been meaning to burn before fall yard work kicks in? Put it on hold. County Judge Andy Eads signed a Local Disaster Declaration for Threat of Wildland Fires on August 25, and the burn ban that comes with it covers every square inch of Denton County — Flower Mound included.

This is not a suggestion. The ban prohibits all outdoor burning and restricts outdoor hot work like welding and cutting-torch operations. Violating it is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $500. Fire pits, debris burns, and open-flame cooking devices are all off the table until the county lifts the declaration.

The conditions driving the ban are the same ones you're feeling outside: high temperatures, high winds, low humidity, and dead or dormant vegetation, with the county currently sitting in moderate drought per the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Here's what makes this moment more than routine. The firefighters who would respond to a call in Flower Mound are already committed elsewhere. County fire resources are strained, with personnel deployed to provide mutual aid for fires across the region — including the Ross Fire in Palo Pinto County. Krum firefighters were responding to a fire in Wise County when a grass fire broke out in their own jurisdiction — a fire near FM 2450 and FM 156 that was extinguished Monday.

Residents near the county's western edge may already smell smoke from the Wise County fire and the Ross Fire, according to the Denton County Sheriff's Office. That's not a reason to panic. It's a reason to be practical.

"Prevention of potential wildland fires is essential to the safety of county residents," Judge Eads said, noting that wildfires can destroy not only lives and property but livelihoods as well. Denton County Chief Fire Marshal Brad Sebastian added that residents should remove unwanted combustible debris and vegetation away from their homes and keep water hoses ready and accessible in the event a small fire starts.

The burn ban stays in effect until the disaster declaration is rescinded, and the county has said that won't happen until drought conditions are alleviated. No end date is on the calendar.

One thing worth knowing if you grill on gas: open-flame cooking devices are prohibited, but residents can use cooking devices fueled by propane or natural gas that have a complete and full enclosure. When in doubt, check the county's order language or call the Denton County Emergency Services Office at 940-349-2840. The latest updates are at dentoncounty.gov.