Livingston, Texas — October 23, 2026. Polk County is under a burn ban. County Judge Sydney Murphy signed a Local Declaration of Disaster Friday that includes an Order Prohibiting Outdoor Burning across the county’s unincorporated areas, citing elevated fire weather and the threat of wildfire.
What the burn ban means
- Hold off on burning trash, brush, debris, or yard waste outdoors anywhere in unincorporated Polk County.
- No open outdoor fires on unincorporated county land while the order is in effect.
- Welding, grinding, and other spark-producing work outdoors should be done with extreme caution.
- Call the Polk County Judge’s office or your local volunteer fire department before any outdoor burning while the order stands.
Under Texas Local Government Code § 352.081, violating a county burn ban is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500.
How long it lasts
A county judge’s burn ban order typically runs for seven days. The Commissioners Court then decides at its next meeting whether to extend the ban for up to 90 days. Polk County has not yet posted a stated duration for this order.
Background
Polk County last lifted its burn ban on September 3, 2026, when the Commissioners Court rescinded the countywide ban and terminated the disaster declaration for the threat of wildfire. Conditions have dried out across Deep East Texas in the weeks since, and several neighboring counties have reinstated restrictions.