The Hays County Fire Marshal’s office notified the community that the county-wide burn ban in the unincorporated areas of the county was lifted, effective at 11 a.m. on Oct. 5.
Outdoor burning in the areas designated requires residents to follow rules, specifically with respect to what kinds of materials may be burned. The county states on its website that the lifting of the burn ban “does not authorize burning of any material that is prohibited from being burned by Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.” Listed prohibited materials for burning include: construction waste, household garbage, tires, rubber or plastic products, heavy oils, fiberglass products, oil-based materials and those types of materials that have the potential to produce what the county considers excessive amounts of smoke.
Based on the most recent data from the Keetch-Byram Drought Index which is used to determine forest fire potential in Hays County and Texas, the minimum rate observed in the county was 152, the maximum was 630, with an average of 396. In the last day, there was an observed positive change in the drought index of 5.
The KBDI is based on a daily water balance, “where a drought factor is balanced with precipitation and soil moisture,” which the index assumes as having a maximum storage capacity of 8-inches, a statistic that is delineated in hundredths of an inch of soil moisture depletion.
This index uses a range of 0 to 800, where a drought index of 0 represents no moisture depletion, and an index of 800 represents absolutely dry conditions. The index is a measure from ground-based estimates of temperature and precipitation from weather stations and interpreted by experts at Texas A&M Forest Service.
According to Hays County, anyone starting a fire who then allows this fire to become out of control, damaging or destroying property of someone else, is guilty of a crime under the Texas Penal Code.
Discussion and possible action related to the burn ban was on the agenda for the meeting on Oct. 10 of the Hays County Commissioners Court. More information and updates will be provided as made available.
