Flower Mound residents head into September under a mandatory burn ban and a "severe drought" designation that shows no sign of lifting.

The U.S. Drought Monitor now classifies Denton County as being in severe drought, meteorologist Brad Barton reported in a Sept. 1 column for the Cross Timbers Gazette. August 2026 ranked as the third-hottest August on record in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and Barton wrote that Denton County appeared even hotter and drier than the broader region, though reliable local climate records date back only to the 1970s.

Denton County Judge Andy Eads issued a Local Disaster Declaration for wildfire threat on Aug. 25, activating the countywide burn ban. The ban prohibits all outdoor burning and restricts outdoor hot work such as welding. Violating it is a Class C misdemeanor with a fine up to $500. The Town of Flower Mound confirmed the ban applies locally, restricting outdoor cooking to fully enclosed propane and natural-gas devices, or enclosed wood and charcoal devices kept at least five feet from vegetation and other combustible material. No end date has been set.

Barton, chief meteorologist at WBAP and KLIF radio, laid out the August numbers for the Denton area. Average highs reached nearly 103 degrees, 7 degrees above normal. The temperature peaked at 109 degrees on Aug. 23 and Aug. 24. In mid-August, the area endured 14 consecutive days at or above 103.

"Just brutal," Barton wrote.

August produced zero measurable rainfall. The last measurable rain in Denton fell July 12, when gauges recorded 0.12 inches. Traces were detected three times through Aug. 28, but none enough to register. Barton projected that, assuming no rain fell through Aug. 31, the area would reach 54 days without measurable precipitation.

Year-to-date rainfall through August totaled just 13.5 inches, 9.5 inches below normal, according to Barton. Lakes are dropping and ponds are drying up across the area, he reported.

As of Aug. 31, 204 of Texas' 254 counties were under burn bans, according to Texas A&M Forest Service data cited by Community Impact. The National Weather Service expected the fire threat to remain elevated through Sept. 1.

The Climate Prediction Center forecasts above-normal temperatures and close to normal rainfall for Texas in September. The center also projects a "strong" El Niño developing in the Pacific, which could bring wetter-than-normal conditions to North Texas this winter. Barton wrote that the area's second severe weather season could arrive as early as mid-September.

Denton County Chief Fire Marshal Brad Sebastian urged residents to remove combustible debris and vegetation from around their homes and keep water hoses accessible. Residents can call 911 to report any fire.