Dry conditions worsening
With a burn ban in place and drought conditions worsening, the Kendall County Commissioners Court has banned the sale of aerial fireworks for the holidays.
With the Keetch-Byram Drought Index at 633, surpassing the “danger level” of 600, County Fire Marshal Brady Constantine told commissioners Tuesday the prohibition applies to fireworks that can’t be controlled once they are lit and launched.
“This is nothing new for Kendall County. This affects skyrockets with sticks, missiles and fins, meaning your traditional bottle-rockets fireworks that just aren’t controllable,” Constantine said.
Because of the critical fire conditions, statutes give the county until Dec. 15 to put vendors and consumers on notice prior to the opening of firework sales on Dec. 20.
“The burn index has increased since we last spoke,” the fire marshal said.
The drought index, developed by the U.S. Forest Service in 1997, ranges from 0 to 800, where a drought index of 0 represents no moisture depletion, and an index of 800 corresponds to absolutely dry conditions.
“We haven’t really had any measurable precipitation in the county all month,” Constantine said.
“We haven’t really had any measurable precipitation in the county all month.”
— Brady Constantine, fire marshal In watching relative humidity readings, Constantine said officials expect days with readings in the 29-30 range “which, in the fire service, is a critical time for us.”
There is a burn-ban exemption on the books for agricultural purposes, officials said.
Constantine said he would rather no burning occur, but added if individuals contact his office, he can dispatch a fire truck to their location at the time of the burn, just to prevent problems.
Letters will be sent to all fireworks stand owners and operators, explaining the items banned from sale.
For more, contact the fire marshal at 830-249-7936.
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