Harvey Blows Out Burn Ban
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Comal County Judge Sherman Krause lifted the unpopular outdoor burn ban Sunday morning.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), which measures soil dryness, dropped 346 points in one day. By 10 a.m. Sunday it measured 199. Five hundred is the threshold at which the burn bans are typically implemented. By 10 a.m. Sunday it measured 199.
But there’s a catch.
“The recent rains from Hurricane Harvey provided enough moisture to make outdoor burning safer,” said Comal County Fire Marshal Kory Klabunde. “However, state law does not allow burning when winds are over 23 mph, so it’s likely that residents will have to wait another day or two before they can light outdoor fires.”
Residents conducting burns on their property are encouraged to use caution and have a water source nearby, Klabunde said.
