Gonzales County issues ban on outdoor burning

Gonzales County will be under a burn ban beginning Thursday, Aug. 28, as the county’s fire danger rating continues to climb due to hot August temperatures and not enough moisture in the soil to lower the risk of wildfires.

County commissioners voted unanimously to put the ban into effect at their regular meeting Monday, Aug. 25 after hearing from Emergency Management Director Jimmy Harless, who said the county’s Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) average was creeping up to nearly 600 — which can be considered severe drought conditions.

“Our KBDI as of Friday was 580 and the new KBDI comes out at 10 this morning and I suspect that it’s going to be pushing 600 at some point,” Harless said. “I’ve spoken to all the chiefs this morning with the exception of Waelder and they’re all in agreement that I recommend the county institute a burn ban. Lavaca County already is in one as is Comal County. I think that it’s going to just continue to rise and that’s an average, so we’re higher than that in certain locations of the county.”

DeWitt and Calhoun counties have also approved the burn ban as 82 Texas counties have taken similar action this summer. 

As of Tuesday, Aug. 26,, the KBDI was at an average of 594, up 14 points from Friday’s average of 580. That includes a low of 500 and a high of 664.

Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS), which monitors wildfire conditions for the state, uses KDBI for determination of drought conditions within the State of Texas. KBDI was developed by John L. Keetch and George Byram with the US Forest Service Southeastern Research Station to correlate the effects of drought on wildfire potential.

The KBDI is based on a daily water balance, where a drought factor is balanced with precipitation and soil moisture (assumed to have a maximum storage capacity of eight inches) and is expressed in hundredths of an inch of soil moisture depletion. 

The KBDI attempts to measure the amount of precipitation necessary to return the soil to full field capacity. It is a closed system ranging from 0 to 800, where 0 represents a saturated soil, and 800 an absolutely dry soil. At any point along the scale, the KBDI value indicates the amount of precipitation it would take to bring the moisture level back to zero, or saturation.

When the KDBI falls between 400-600, lower litter and duff layers contribute to fire intensity and will burn actively. Wildfire intensity begins to increase significantly. Larger fuels could burn or smoulder for several days. This is often seen in late summer and early fall. 

When the KDBI falls between 600-800, this is often associated with more severe drought with increased wildfire occurrence. Intense, deep-burning fires with extreme intensities can be expected. Live fuels can also be expected to burn actively at these levels.

No one is permitted to burn without a permit obtained through the Emergency Management Office and, even if a permit is approved for outdoor burning under an exception, conditions can change and local fire departments can order you not to burn if conditions are unsafe. You must contact the Gonzales County Sheriff’s Office at 830-672-6524 to let them know before any burning takes place.

Fires must be maintained and watched at all times while burning. If you have any doubt that the fire may be getting out of control, call 911 immediately. Do not wait until it is out of hand and becomes a wildfire.

Anyone who violates the burn ban by burning any combustible material outside of an enclosure can be cited at the discretion of Harless or a peace officer for a Class C misdemeanor, which is punishable by a fine of up to $500.