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Fire / Rescue

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1. Are Volunteer Firefighters Needed?

The Snyder Fire Department is actively seeking interested individuals at this time to become volunteer firefighters. An applicant must live in the Snyder area of Scurry County, be 18 years of age, have a high school degree or GED, have a current Texas driver's license, and furnish proof of insurance. An application packet can be picked up at Central Fire Station, or down loaded from this web site under the VFD section. No experience is required. Training is held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month for the entire department, and training of new personnel is scheduled at convenient times. Training dates are adjusted for Thanksgiving and Christmas as necessary. Visitors are welcome at any time.

For more information, please contact Fire / Rescue at (325) 573-6215.

Read more about Becoming a Volunteer Firefighter on this website.

Read more about Jr. Firefighter Program on this website.

2. Are we under a burn ban?

AT THIS TIME, SCURRY COUNTY IS UNDER A BURN BAN, AND OUTDOOR BURNING IS REGULATED BY THE BAN. AT TIMES, THE SCURRY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT ISSUES A TEMPORARY SUSPENSION WHEN CONDITIONS PERMIT, AND DURING THAT PERIOD THE BAN IS LIFTED ON A TEMPORARY BASIS. CONTACT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THE CURRENT STATUS IF UNKNOWN.
A map of counties under a burn ban is available through the Texas Forest Service and although helpful, it is not always up-to-date as local county governments (not fire departments) are responsible for enacting and lifting local burn bans. For accurate information, contact Scurry County at (325) 573-8576.

The local Fire Department will routinely know the current burn ban status. The Snyder Fire Department can be contacted at (325) 573-6215.

3. What can I burn, and where can I burn it?

Burning inside the City limits of Snyder is prohibited at all times by local ordinance. This does not prohibit fires used for cooking purposes (if arranged in a safe manner), but does prohibit the burning of any type of trash, rubbish, or similar debris.

Outside the City limits, there are no local ordinances unless a burn ban is in place. However, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has numerous restrictions and should be contacted for up-to-date and accurate information. In general, it is against State law to burn tires, furniture, petroleum products, certain treated materials including some types of wood, and several other materials. Trailer houses are specifically prohibited. Tree limbs, grass, and natural vegetation debris are normally allowed if produced on the property they are being burned on. Hauling debris to a secondary location is not allowed. During a routine burn ban, household trash burning is allowed in an enclosed container such as a barrel, as long as there is a spark arresting screen over the container. The screen should be small enough to catch sparks emitted from the burning process. Hog wire or chicken wire is not considered a spark arresting screen. A window-type screen material is suggested. Burning household trash in a pit is not allowed during a burn ban.

While these suggestions are normally acceptable, this list is not to be considered all-inclusive. Both the TCEQ and/or the County should be contacted for up-to-date, full, and accurate information regarding outdoor burning. While the local fire department can assist in answering questions, the State and local burn ban laws are not enacted or enforced by their department. The State laws (TCEQ) and local burn ban laws (Scurry County) are enforced by their respective agencies and are subject to respective fines and penalties. The TCEQ can be contacted by phone at (512) 239-1000. Scurry County can be contacted by phone at (325) 573-8576.