Little Elm Crews Are Fighting Fires Elsewhere as the County Bans Outdoor Burning

Little Elm firefighters are among the North Texas crews sent to help fight large wildfires elsewhere in the state, and their county has now moved to avoid adding to the workload at home.

Denton County commissioners banned outdoor burning on Tuesday morning, effective immediately, in the county's unincorporated areas. The order stands until the state of disaster is terminated by the Commissioners Court or County Judge Andy Eads. A violation carries a fine of up to $500.

Where local crews have gone

Departments from Little Elm, Krum, Lewisville, Justin, Fort Worth and Roanoke have been committed under mutual aid agreements, the arrangements that let one department send engines and personnel into another jurisdiction during an emergency.

The Denton County Sheriff's Office put the Ross Fire in Palo Pinto County at roughly 50,000 acres and 5 percent containment. The Rio Escondido Fire in Hamilton County stood at 2,650 acres and 50 percent contained, with a 57-acre fire in Wise County at 95 percent.

Closer in, a grass fire near Ponder burned about 125 acres on Sunday evening.

What the ban restricts

Burning combustible material outdoors is prohibited, which Emergency Services Districts No. 1 and No. 2 define to include wood, lumber, leaves, brush and welding material. Outdoor cooking is barred unless the device runs on propane or natural gas and is fully enclosed and kept closed while in use.

County Fire Marshal Brad Sebastian told commissioners the county had gone more than 30 days without measurable rain.

Texas law lets a commissioners court restrict outdoor burning in the unincorporated part of a county, not inside a city. Households inside Little Elm town limits fall under the town's own restrictions rather than the county order. The fire danger does not stop at that line even though the rule does.