Burn ban in the Big Country for 16 counties despite recent rainfall

Editor’s note: Burn bans may change, and this information came from the Texas A&M Forest Service instantly. Please click here to email the updated burn ban.

BIG COUNTRY, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – 16 counties in the Big Country are under a burn ban, despite the recent rainfall.

The Texas A&M Forest Service has reported the following counties are under a burn ban:

• Coke
• Runnels
• Coleman
• Mills
• Brown
• Comanche
• Callahan
• Eastland
• Fisher
• Jones
• Shackelford
• Stephens
• Kent
• Throckmorton
• King
• Knox

Meteorologists from BigCountryHomepage.com provided an update on the drought conditions.

“October 2025 has experienced record high average temperatures, with a mean of 75.6°F as of October 24, surpassing last year’s record of 73.6°F by 2°F and exceeding the average of 68.3°F by 7.3°F. However, a series of cold fronts may bring temperatures closer to average by the month’s end. Recently, the Abilene Regional Airport received 1.10 inches of rain, bringing October’s total to 1.38 inches, 0.85 inches below the average of 2.23 inches. Year to date, we’ve recorded 19.58 inches of precipitation, which is 2.40 inches below the normal of 21.98 inches. Improved conditions are expected, with some counties likely to lift their burn bans soon,” KTAB Meteorologist Susana Harbert said.

The Texas A&M Forest Service shared tips on how to extinguish a fire:

• Never leave a campfire unattended; allow the wood to burn completely to ash if possible.
• Pour water on all embers until the hissing sounds stop.
• Stir the campfire ashes and water with a shovel.
• Scape logs to remove embers.
• Stir and make sure everything is wet and cold to the touch