\t\t\t\tA burn ban will remain in effect for Bastrop County through Oct. 27.<\/p>\n
The details<\/p>\n
The emergency order prohibiting outdoor burning has now been in effect since Sept. 22<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe purpose of this order is the mitigation of the public safety hazard posed by wildfires during the current dry weather conditions by curtailing the practice of outdoor burning,\u201d the emergency order<\/a>, signed by Bastrop County Judge Gregory Klaus, states.<\/p>\n Bastrop County outlined the following enforcement measures if there is an outdoor fire:<\/p>\n Fire departments responding to a scene to contain and extinguish the fireA peace officer being sent to the scene to investigate the nature of the fireA fine up to $500 if an individual knowingly violates the emergency orderA full list of activities allowed and prohibited during a burn ban can be accessed on the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality<\/a> website.<\/p>\n Some background<\/p>\n Bastrop County also issued a disaster declaration Sept. 18, and cited several factors, including:<\/p>\n A lack of rainfall for an extended period of timeThe dry conditions posing a risk of large, dangerous and fast-moving wildfiresMeteorologists not forecasting a change in the dry conditions in the near futureAll of Bastrop County was experiencing severe drought conditions as of Oct. 7, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe latest drought map for conditions as of Oct. 7 shows an increase in drought for the fourth consecutive week,\u201d Mark Wentzel, a hydrologist with the Office of Water Science and Conservation, said in his latest Water Weekly report<\/a>. \u201cWith almost 50% of the state currently classified as abnormally dry, expect more drought in coming weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n What else?<\/p>\n