Comal County Fire Marshal Kory Klabunde said today’s Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) is 710 and rising.
“We have continued to go up between four to five points a day,” he said.
KBDI is used to determine forest-fire potential, and an index of 800 represents absolutely dry conditions.
Today, Texas A&M Forest Service raised the State Preparedness Level to Level 4 (PL 4).
“Due to a significant increase in the fire activity across the state, potential for large fires as well as the increased commitment of state and local resources to fires, Texas A&M Forest Service has raised the State Preparedness Level to Level 4,” it said on X/Twitter.
Over the past seven days, the Forest Service has responded to 80 wildfires for over 8,521 acres burned as triple-digit temperatures and dry conditions continue to impact the state.
The U.S. National Weather Service Austin-San Antonio said with increasing winds, conditions Tuesday through Thursday will be even more conducive to wildfire spread.
“Heat health and fire weather will remain the primary concerns for the foreseeable future,” meteorologists said on Facebook.
Close to home, the 400-acre Oak Grove Fire in Hays County is 75% contained as of 6 p.m., according to Incident Information – Texas A&M Forest Service’s Twitter feed.
“Crews continue to build containment line and patrol the area,” according to the Forest Service’s most-recent post.
Other wildfires reported over the last several days include:
- 75-acre Orchard Fire in Gillespie County
- 150-acre Kirby Creek Fire in Lampasas County
- 500-acre Jennings Fire in Zapata County
- 100-acre Lucy Creek Fire in Lampasas County
- 490-acre Red Barn Fire in Jeff Davis County
- 110-acre Mt. Calm Fire in Hill County
- 80-acre Boones Creek Fire in Wise County
- 500-acre Double Back Fire in Johnson County
- 718-acre Mack Fire in Wichita County
- 72-acre Big Sky Fire in Denton County
