The City of Austin has lifted a burn ban for all city parks. You can grill in designated areas, but campfires are only allowed at Emma Long Metropolitan Park.
Victor Ovalle is with Austin Parks and Recreation. He says recent rainfall has improved drought conditions in the area, but s park-goers should still be careful.
“We’re asking the public to be very careful when they’re out," Ovalle said. "There’s still a lot of timber in the area, in our parks, and so we ask them not to leave their fires unattended, to keep a source of water nearby, and before leaving the site, making sure the fire is completely extinguished."
The ban was lifted just in time for South By Southwest, but Ovalle says the festival did not have a bearing on the timing of the decision. The ban had been in place almost a full year, since last April.
Smoking in city parks is still against the law, except in golf courses. The city adopted that rule in December, though it was primarily a public health initiative.
