02/24/2026
DECLARATION OF DISASTER AND ORDER PROHIBITING OUTDOOR BURNING FOR ANGELINA COUNTY, TEXAS
WHEREAS, Angelina County, is currently threatened by high or extreme wildland fire hazard. This threat is caused by abundant fuel and high winds in Angelina County, and;
WHEREAS, the County Volunteer Fire Departments have responded to twenty-eight different brush fires in three days and higher winds are expected to continue;
WHEREAS, extraordinary measures must be taken to protect life and/or property;
NOW THEREFORE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AUTHORITY VESTED IN THE ANGELINA COUNTY JUDGE BY SECTION 418.108 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, I DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THE EXISTENCE OF SUCH DISASTER AND DIRECT THAT ALL NECESSARY MEASURES BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AS AUTHORIZED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS BE IMPLEMENTED TO MEET THAT DISASTER:
1. That a local state of disaster is hereby proclaimed for Angelina County pursuant to Section 418.108(a) of the Texas Government Code.
2. Pursuant to Section 418.108(b) of the Government Code, this Declaration of a local state of disaster shall continue for seven (7) days unless extended by the Angelina County Commissioner's Court and then for so long as such conditions exists with the exception granted to fireworks under Section 418.108(i) of the Government Code.
3. Pursuant to Section 418.108(c) of the Government Code, this Declaration of a local state of disaster shall be given prompt and general publicity and shall be filed promptly with the County Clerk of Angelina County.
4. Pursuant to Section 418.108(d) of the Government Code, this Declaration of a local state of disaster activates the Angelina County Emergency Management Plan.
5. The purpose of this order is to mitigate the hazard posed by wildfires, due to dry ground cover and wins, by curtailing the practice of outdoor burning. The purpose of the declaration shall be taken into account in any enforcement action based upon this
order.
BE IT THEREFORE ORDERED that the following emergency regulations are hereby established for all unincorporated and incorporated areas of Angelina County, Texas in accordance with Section 418.108(h)(l) of the Government Code.
1. Action Prohibited: All outdoor burning of any combustible material is prohibited. A person violates this order if he/she burns any combustible material or orders such burning by others.
2. Enforcement:
a. Upon notification of suspected outdoor burning, the fire department assigned to the location of the fire shall respond to the scene and take immediate measures to contain and/or extinguish the fire.
b. As soon as possible, a duly-commissioned peace officer shall be sent to investigate
the nature of the fire.
c. If in the opinion of the officer at the scene the goal of the order can be attained by informing the responsible party about the prohibitions established by this order, the officer may, at his/her discretion, notify the party about the provisions of this order and request compliance with it. In such instances, an entry of the notification shall be made into the dispatcher's log containing the time, date, and place of the warning, and the name of the person receiving the warning.
3. At the discretion of the peace officer subsequent or flagrant violations of the order may be prosecuted in accordance with the statues and procedures governing misdemeanors.
BE IT ALSO ORDERED that this order may be enforced by any duly-commissioned peace officer and that the venue for prosecution of this order will be the Justice of the Peace Court, Angelina County, Texas.
This Declaration and Order shall take effect immediately from and after its issuance and continue for a period of seven (7) days unless extended by the Angelina County Commissioner's Court with the exception granted to fireworks under Section 418.l0S(i) of the Government Code.
DECLARATION AND ORDERED THIS THE 24th DAY OF February, 2026.
Angelina County Judge
Keith Wright
