All outdoor burning is prohibited across Denton County until further notice after the county issued a Red Flag Warning on Wednesday, Aug. 12, citing dry conditions and extreme fire danger.

The ban applies to the Denton County portions of Prosper and Celina. Both cities straddle the Collin-Denton county line, so residents on the Collin County side are not covered by this specific order.

Denton County posted the alert at 4:32 p.m. Wednesday to its official alert center, warning that the county's Keetch-Byram Drought Index average has climbed above 600, the threshold for extreme fire danger.

The county said on its official Facebook page that with no rain in the forecast, conditions warranted the highest alert level.

The region has baked under triple-digit heat, with temperatures above 100 degrees and high pressure parked over North Texas. FOX 4 meteorologists reported that nearly 30 consecutive days without rain, low humidity, gusty winds and dry, stressed vegetation mean even small sparks could spread rapidly.

Multiple North Texas counties were already under burn bans as of Monday, Aug. 10, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service, which tracks conditions statewide. August is typically the peak month for Texas wildfires.

What's prohibited

No outdoor burning of any kind is allowed in Denton County until county officials determine drought conditions have eased. There is no set end date. Violating a county burn ban is a Class C misdemeanor under Texas law, punishable by a fine of up to $500.

What residents should do

Residents who see smoke or an active fire should call 911 immediately. For questions about what the ban covers within city limits, contact the local fire department. Both Prosper and Celina list fire department phone numbers on their city websites.

The Texas A&M Forest Service maintains a statewide burn ban map where residents can monitor drought conditions. Denton County will post updates to its alert center at dentoncounty.gov when the ban is lifted.