A burn ban could be in store for Comal County.
Comal County Fire Marshal Kory Klabunde today warned the county’s Keetch Byram Drought Index (KBDI) has risen to 308 due to drought conditions in the area. When the KBDI reaches 500 points Comal County Judge Sherman Krause will declare a burn ban.
“Our county has been rising between 16 and 24 points a day with the heat and dryness we have been having,” he said. “This should slow down as the moisture becomes deeper in the soil.”
The Texas Forest A&M Service will declare a drought when the KBDI rises to between 400 and 600.
“In our area, the grasses and fire load on the ground become a bigger fire danger at around 500, that is why we use that number for the burn ban,” Klabunde said. “We are not planning on a burn ban at the moment but we do want you to be aware of the situation.”
Even if the county declared a burn ban fireworks would still be legal in unincorporated areas of the county. Cities can make ordinances prohibiting the use and sale of fireworks but counties cannot. Fireworks are illegal inside New Braunfels city limits.
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.
The forest service uses the KBDI to determine firest-fire potential.
