The Tarrant County Commissioner’s Court approved an outdoor burning ban for Tarrant County Tuesday, Dec. 4.

The outdoor burning ban will be in effect for the next 90 days.

Due to dry grass conditions and wind gusts that occur during the winter season, all outdoor burning is prohibited. According to the Tarrant County office, the county is “under imminent threat of severe damage, injury or loss of life or property resulting from the threat of wildfires.”

Violators of the outdoor burning ban can be charged with a class C misdemeanor and punished with a fine of up to $500.

The county strongly suggests that residents in rural areas keep an area of about 30 feet mowed around their homes and out buildings to prevent fires from reaching the structures.

For more information, contact the fire marshal’s office at 817-838-4660 or click here.