Comal County’s burn ban is off — again.
The burn ban for unincorporated areas of the county went back into effect at 6 a.m. today, but later in the day, county officials lifted it permanently due to cumulative rainfall of between 1 1/2 and 2 inches Friday.
The county initially rescinded the burn Thursday, when the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) dropped to 488 points. However under Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) regulations, commissioners could only temporarily lift the burn ban for up to 48 hours.
“Forty-three hours was chosen so the burn ban would be back into effect before individuals would be able to burn,” county Fire Marshal Kory Klabunde said. “That way, someone doesn’t start a fire and then it becomes illegal. That is the same reason the burn ban starts at 6 a.m.”
By law, county commissioners are required to enact a burn ban when the KBDI reaches 500 points. According to Water Data for Texas, Friday’s KBDI was 424 points.
The drought index is based on a daily water balance, where a drought factor is balanced with precipitation and soil moisture. The drought index ranges from 0 to 800, where a drought index of 0 represents no moisture depletion, and an index of 800 represents absolutely dry conditions.
For more information, visit the Fire Marshal’s website.
