County Judge Keough signs declaration of local disaster, orders burn ban

THE WOODLANDS, TX – Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough has announced that he has signed a declaration banning all outdoor burning, due to the hot, dry, summerlike weather that has remained in the county over the past several months.

In an official statement, Keough stated:

Due to rapidly worsening drought conditions and an elevated risk of wildfire across Montgomery County, I have signed a Declaration of Local Disaster and ordered all outdoor burning to cease effective 12:01 a.m., Tuesday, October 14, 2025, until further notice.

This action follows close consultation with the County Fire Marshal and our Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management.

Prolonged dry weather and critically dry fuels mean even small sparks can quickly become dangerous wildfires. Burning of household refuse or rubbish is illegal year round in Montgomery County and despite that law we have seen many fires over the past few days caused by illegal burning.

The order I signed today prohibits all outdoor burning that is not permitted by the state and inspected by our fire marshal's office.

I will continue to monitor weather and drought conditions and adjust this order in consultation with the Fire Marshal and OEM accordingly.

Please help us by ceasing all outdoor burning until further notice.

Stay tuned to Woodlands Online for weather alerts and updates, as well as further announcements from local government.

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