Burnet County commissioners douse burn-ban decision
BURNET — The hot weather may be hitting record highs, but for now Burnet County commissioners say there is no need to ban outdoor burning.
That was just one item of business discussed Tuesday during the regular meeting, which also included a resolution to observe National Preparedness Month in September.
Although a burn ban is not in effect, that doesn’t rule out calling for one later, said Precinct 1 Commissioner Bill Neve.
“Most likely, if we don’t get some significant rain, we will do it next time,” Neve said.
For now, the average Keetch-Byram Drought Index for the county is 565 or 10 points below the normal benchmark for a burn ban, Neve added.
KBDI measures the potential for forest fires based on daily water balance, and a score of 575 or higher indicates a high risk of fire danger, according to the Texas Forest Service.
Meanwhile, the commissioners will observe National Preparedness Month next month in the county.
For more on this story, see the Aug. 29 edition of The River Cities Sunday Tribune