Much of state at risk for wildfires
A burn ban will stay in place for the time being until Kendall County receives “significant rains,” officials said.
The ban is needed as first responders prepare for the wildfire season, often characterized by dry conditions or drought, low humidity, rising temperatures and gusty winds, according to authorities.
“How long it’s going to last, I couldn’t tell you. Our true fire season begins the first or second week of March,” said County Fire Marshal Brady Constantine, adding, “We’ve hit that early this year.” The ban applies to unincorporated areas of the county.
Constantine told the Kendall County Commissioners Court last week the ban, enacted during an earlier special court session Feb. 18, will remain in place “until we receive some significant rains.”
Kendall County is not alone, as most of the state, is in burn-ban mode, he said.
“If you look at a burn ban map right now for the state of Texas, it’s solid red,” Constantine said. “The majority of the state is in a burn ban.”
Since that Feb. 18 meeting and the burn ban that resulted, the fire marshal said the county has seen a significant decrease in fire response.
“We are still experiencing smaller spot fires, but they are not due to controlled burns that are getting away,” he said during the court’s Feb. 24 meeting.
Prior to an emergency declaration and the prohibition on burning, Constantine said the county’s volunteer fire departments “were seeing anywhere from three to as many as seven controlled burns a day that were getting away” from the individuals requesting and overseeing the burns.
Under the ban, any person held liable for an out-of-control burn — or even the start of one — can be charged with a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by fines of up to $500 or confinement in jail not to exceed 180 days.
“How long it’s going to last, I couldn’t tell you.”
— Kendall County Fire Marshal Brady Constantine
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