250 Texas Counties Have Outdoor Burn Bans

COLLEGE STATION (AP) - A record 250 Texas counties have outdoor burn bans as the lingering drought is blamed for staggering agricultural losses.

The Texas Forest Service on Friday reported that Jefferson, Orange, Willacy and Zapata are the only counties lacking the burn bans.

The previous outdoor burn ban record in Texas, prior to this year's drought, was set in early 2006 at 221 counties. That record was broken in June.

The Texas AgriLife Extension Service on Wednesday estimated the drought has caused a record $5.2 billion in livestock and crop losses since last fall.

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