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1. Are we under a burn ban?

The Scurry County Commissioners Court may from time to time, enact a burn ban.  Please check with the County Judge's Office 325-573-8576 to see if a burn ban is in place.  When the County is in a drought situation, chances are very high that a burn ban is in place.  While it does not always reflect the status on any given day, this interactive map of burn ban counties that is maintained by the Texas A & M Forest Service may be helpful.  Keep in mind, counties may lift or impose a ban and the map may not reflect the latest changes.     If you have confirmed that a burn ban is NOT in effect, and you plan to burn, please consider weather conditions for the burning day and the forecast for the next two days in deciding whether or not to burn.  Please notify the Snyder FD 325-573-6215 of any burning other than trash in a barrel, so that we will not make an unnecessary response if someone else reports your fire.

2. 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.

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

Burning inside the City limits of Snyder regulated 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. Click HERE to see what fires are permitted/prohibited.

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.