Prosper and Celina residents in Denton County can resume outdoor burning after the county lifted its mandatory burn ban Monday, Oct. 5.

The ban lasted 41 days. Denton County Judge Andy Eads first imposed it Aug. 25 through a Local Disaster Declaration, citing drought conditions and the Ross wildfire burning in Palo Pinto County. Several days of rain at the start of October ended the drought that triggered the restriction, Community Impact reported.

Collin County also lifted its burn ban the same day, according to Prosper Fire Rescue, which posted the update on X. The department urged residents to use caution with outdoor burning and follow local fire safety requirements.

The ban had prohibited all outdoor burning, including vegetation disposal, welding, cutting torch operations and the use of certain combustible materials. Outdoor cooking with wood or charcoal required a five-foot radius clear of debris, and propane or natural gas grills had to use a complete enclosure. Violations carried fines up to $500.

Denton County Chief Fire Marshal Brad Sebastian said in an Aug. 25 letter to commissioners that the area had gone more than 30 days without rain when the ban took effect. By Aug. 30, the Dallas-Fort Worth area had reached 46 consecutive days with only trace amounts of precipitation, according to the National Weather Service. Local fire departments had responded to hundreds of fires in the weeks before the ban, including a 125-acre grass fire in Ponder.

The Ross fire, which started Aug. 24 in Palo Pinto County, had burned more than 85,000 acres and was only 31% contained as of Aug. 31, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service, as Community Impact reported. As of that same date, 204 of Texas' 254 counties were under burn bans.

Even with the ban lifted, Sebastian's August fire-safety guidance remains relevant. In the county's original burn ban announcement, he advised residents to remove combustible debris and vegetation from around their homes and keep water hoses accessible.

Residents can check dentoncounty.gov for future burn ban updates.