We looked out our window a bit ago and could see a fire burning across the road. We hurried over for a closer inspection and neighbors had a bonfire going. No one wants to be the jerk spoiling the party, but no one wants their house to burn down either. We advised them that Hays County was under a burn ban. They said it was okay because they had the fire in a “fire ring” (they had some rocks around it) and they had access to a water hose. We said we were pretty sure that was not an exception to the burn ban. They said, okay, they’d call the fire marshall and see about it. As one of them went inside to call, the fire jumped out of the “fire ring.” The bonfire is out now. As a reminder, charcoal and gas grills are the only burning exempt from the ban — even burning in “burn barrels” (including barrels with screens on the top) is not allowed.
Burn ban violators could face a class C misdemeanor charge with a fine up to $500.
If you’re ever curious as to whether we are currently under a burn ban, Hays County keeps the status updated on their website:
http://www.co.hays.tx.us/index.php/how-do-i/fire-marshal/
