Austin News

Austin, Texas - Governor Greg Abbott has renewed the wildfire disaster declaration in Texas, citing the continued threat of wildfires in several counties. The original disaster proclamation was issued on August 11, 2023, after wildfires broke out on July 24, 2023.

The Texas Division of Emergency Management has confirmed that the wildfire conditions still exist in many counties, except for Collin, Jack, Jasper, Newton, Refugio, and Webb Counties. In response to this ongoing threat, Governor Abbott has amended and renewed the proclamation, declaring a disaster in a long list of counties including Armstrong, Cameron, El Paso, Hidalgo, and many others.

Governor Abbott, in accordance with the authority vested in him by Section 418.014 of the Texas Government Code, has authorized the use of all available resources of state government and political subdivisions to cope with this disaster. Additionally, he has suspended any regulatory statutes or orders that would hinder necessary action in response to the disaster.

"I do hereby amend and renew the aforementioned proclamation and declare a disaster in Armstrong, Bailey, Baylor, Borden, Brewster, Briscoe, Brooks, Cameron, Carson, Castro, Cochran, Coke, Crockett, Culberson, Dimmit, Donley, Duval, Eastland, Ector, El Paso, Fisher, Garza, Glasscock, Gray, Hale, Hall, Haskell, Hemphill, Hidalgo, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Jim Hogg, Kenedy, King, Kinney, Knox, La Salle, Lamb, Lipscomb, Martin, Maverick, Medina, Mitchell, Moore, Nolan, Oldham, Potter, Presidio, Reagan, Reeves, Roberts, San Patricio, Scurry, Sherman, Starr, Stonewall, Terrell, Throckmorton, Upton, Val Verde, Ward, Wheeler, Wilbarger, Willacy, Winkler, Wise, Zapata, and Zavala Counties," the proclamation reads.

The governor's proclamation also allows for the suspension of any state statutes or administrative rules that would impede emergency response efforts. This includes contracting and procurement procedures that may hinder necessary actions to protect life and property.

The renewed disaster declaration is a testament to the ongoing threat that wildfires pose to the affected counties. It ensures that resources and assistance can be mobilized quickly to mitigate the impact of these fires.

For more information and to view the full proclamation, visit the Governor's website.

To find out more, go to this link: https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-renews-wildfire-disaster-declaration-in-december-2023