White Oak VFD reminds locals of burning restrictions

Currently, the Texas A&M Forest Service puts East Texas at a low to moderate risk for wildfire activity – that’s no greenlight to burn outdoors, however, and White Oak Volunteer Fire Department is reminding residents this week about local restrictions.
Per the fire department, the City of White Oak’s ordinance on “allowable conditions for outdoor burning” follows rules set by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
The community’s regulations are laid out in Sec. 30-155 of White Oak’s code, ‘Allowable conditions for outdoor or open burning.’
According to the local rules, “A person who conducts or participates in outdoor or open burning shall comply with the following requirements and practices:
• Outdoor or open burning may be commenced or conducted only when wind direction and other meteorological conditions are such that smoke and other pollutants from the burning will not adversely affect the use of any public or private street or road, landing strips, navigable water, or an off-site structure containing sensitive receptors.
• In predominantly residential areas, outdoor or open burning, other than bonfires or recreational fires, may not be commenced earlier than one hour after sunrise, and it must be completed on the same day not later than one hour before sunset.
• Outdoor or open burning shall not be commenced or conducted when surface wind speed is less than six miles per hour (five knots) or greater than 23 miles per hour (20 knots) during the burn period.
• Outdoor or open burning shall not be commenced or conducted during periods of drought or persistent low-level atmospheric temperature inversions, as determined by the fire marshal.”