Comal County commissioners issued a burn ban for unincorporated areas at their weekly meeting today, Aug. 14.
It goes into effect 6 a.m. Friday, Aug. 15.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) stands at 514 and is climbing daily. By law, counties must implement an order prohibiting all outdoor burning when the drought index exceeds 500 points.
Fire Marshal Kory Klabunde said surrounding counties are reporting “significant fires.”
“With our KBDI at 514 and climbing daily, conditions are extremely dry and the risk of wildfires is high,” he said at Commissioners Court.
The burn ban will remain in effect for 90 days or until there is significant rainfall countywide and the KBDI drops below the burn-ban threshold far enough for the ban to be lifted.
The burn ban prohibits
- Campfires of any size
- Chimineas
- Fire pits
- Fire rings
- Bonfires (any size, day or night)
- Burn piles (day or night)
- Burn piles (glowing embers)
- Household waste (day or night in a container that contains sparks and/or flames)
- Household waste (not in a container that contains all sparks and/or flames)
- Non-wood construction materials
- Rubber, plastics, treated lumber, etc. (exception: rubber and plastics in household waste)
It is okay to cook on a barbecue pit with a lid that contains all sparks and flames.
For more information, visit the Fire Marshal’s website.
