All of the Cedar Creek Lake area is now under a burn ban, and it is illegal to burn trash and brush or to set off fireworks. Henderson County officials ordered the burn ban July 9, and Kaufman County followed suit on July 12. The Henderson County ban will be reviewed in two weeks, and the Kaufman County ban extends for 30 days. The burn bans were ordered after the Keetch-Byram Drought Index reached the point that it was expected to soon be hovering in the 600 to 700 range. Several grass fires broke out in the Cedar Creek Lake area that required responses by local fire safety departments before the enactment of the burn bans. Texas A&M University researchers work with data provided by the Texas Forest Service's manual recordings and satellite data to develop the index. The index ranges from 0 to 800, with the highest figure representing the driest conditions. Surrounding counties also have enacted burn bans, and the Texas Forest Service indicates that 143 counties now are under a burn ban. Texas has 254 counties but the counties under the burn bans represent the majority of the land in Texas. Cedar Creek Lake is now registering 4.68 feet below normal, and some of the 13 cities on the lake are under Stage 3 drought restrictions.