Comal County Judge Sherman Krause issued a disaster declaration today, citing excessive heat and critical fire weather conditions.
The declaration remains in effect for the next seven days. It provides the resources county leaders and first responders need in an emergency.
All hot work — welding, cutting, grinding — must now be permitted through the Fire Marshal’s Office.
“With the continued heat wave and worsening drought conditions, wildfires are a real danger in Comal County,” said Emergency Management Coordinator Jeff Kelley. “We have a burn ban in place and the extreme conditions have to be taken seriously. There is no relief in sight.”
Fire Marshal Kory Klabunde said low humidity and higher wind speeds mean any fire started could rapidly grow out of control.
The county’s Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) is now at 709 on a scale of 0 to 800, and rising at a rate of two points per day.
Comal County commissioners could vote to extend the declaration for up to 30 days at their meeting Thursday.
