Burn Ban

From staff reports

The Burnet County burn ban has been lifted as of Thursday, Sept. 6, Burnet County Judge James Oakley said.

Soaking rains fell throughout Burnet County this week, with some areas reporting up to three inches of precipitation within a 24-hour period ending at 6 a.m. Thursday. The rain caused the county's Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) average to drop 32 points from 523 to 491, with a high of 703 (just north of Burnet) and a low of 320 (near Marble Falls).

The KBDI is used to determine forest fire potential. The drought index is based on daily water balance, where a drought factor is balanced with precipitation and soil moisture (assumed to have a maximum storage capacity of eight inches) and is expressed in hundredths of an inch of soil moisture depletion.

By Connie Swinney
The Highlander

By Phil Reynolds

The Highlander

After nearly a week of more or less steady rain, Llano County has lifted its burn ban. The ban was imposed at the Sept. 25 meeting of the Commissioners Court, with the thought that County Judge Mary Cunningham could lift the ban before the next court meeting if conditions warrant.

That happened today, Friday, Sept. 20.

The Texas Forest Service shows Llano County averaged 430 on the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) on Thursday, Sept. 28. that number is on the low end of the danger area for wildfires. The KBDI is widely used as an index of wildfire vulnerability.

By Phil Reynolds

The Highlander

With no discussion, Llano County commissioners voted Monday to extend a county-wide burn ban for another three weeks. The vote was unanimous, 4-0, with Precinct 3 Commissioner Mike Sandoval absent.

The Texas Forest Service lists Llano County with a Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) ranging from 328 to 526 as of Monday, July 24. According to the KBDI definition, a range of 400 to 600 means that “Lower litter and duff layers contribute to fire intensity and will burn actively. Wildfire intensity begins to increase significantly. Larger fuels could burn or smolder for several days.”

County Emergency Management Coordinator Assistant Ron Anderson said he didn’t take his usual poll of county fire chiefs to get their opinions because “half the departments were out fighting fires” over the weekend.

By Phil Reynolds

The Highlander

Llano County commissioners voted not to impose a county-wide burn ban Monday with three commissioners voting to table the matter, one voting in favor of a ban, and County Judge Mary Cunningham abstaining.

The question of a burn ban is a regular agenda item during commissioners court meetings. Commissioners have been voting to table the question recently, saying conditions don’t warrant a ban.

Monday, however, Precinct 2 Commissioner Linda Raschke noted that the county had seen several “really big” fires recently, some burning “close to houses.”

County Emergency Management Assistant Ron Anderson said three fire chiefs in the county had told him the previous Wednesday that if the county got “significant” rainfall over the weekend of June 24-25, they might reconsider their recommendation for a ban.

County burn bans instituted

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander