Thursday Update from Comal County: Burn ban goes back into effect at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Tuesday Update from Comal County: “Due to the recent precipitation in Comal County, Judge Sherman Krause has decided to lift the burn ban for 48 hours effective at 11:00 a.m. today and will be re-evaluated by the judge once the 48-hour period is over.
Please be careful with any fires as the KBDI today is still 642 and remember that you are responsible for any fires you may light.”
from Monday:
Today’s rain and drizzle weren’t enough to cancel Comal County’s burn ban.
Fire Marshal Kory Klabunde said the county’s Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) dropped about 30 points over the last few days but that isn’t enough.
The KBDI is at 669. It was at 703 when County Commissioners extended the burn ban on Nov. 11.
The magic number is 500 Klabunde said.
“We aren’t in the clear yet.”
Brush fires, campfires, burn barrels, fire pits (rings) or other open flames are not allowed at this time.
Only barbecue pits that are off the ground and have a lid to contain all sparks and flames can be used for cooking purposes only.
For more information, visit the Comal County Fire Marshal’s website.
KBDI is used to determine forest fire potential and is an index based on a daily water balance, where a drought factor is balanced with precipitation and soil moisture.
KBDI ranges from 0 to 800, where a drought index of 0 represents no moisture depletion and an index of 800 represents absolutely dry conditions.
