WASHINGTON CO. FIREFIGHTERS CURRENTLY NOT RECOMMENDING BURN BAN
Washington County is now the only county in the region without an active burn ban, and Washington County firefighters recommend it stay that way, at least for now.
(courtesy Texas A&M Forest Service)
Austin County’s decision to enact a burn ban on Monday left Washington County as the sole county in the area without one, but the Washington County Firefighters Association says the county’s fire departments are seeing a “typical summer wildfire season”. Firefighters say they are currently monitoring the tropical systems that may have a “dramatic effect” on conditions—either positive or negative—over the next week in the county.
The Firefighters Association said in a release that its leaders have enacted a criteria-based system to determine the need for a burn ban. Criteria used to shape the recommendations to the County Judge include current drought conditions as identified by the Keetch-Byram Drought Index, current and predicted weather conditions, current and predicted fuel dryness in all fuel types, and past and current predictions on fire danger and trends.
Currently, Washington County is sitting at an average drought index of 608. Historically, according to the Firefighters Association, the county begins to see an increase in wildfire occurrence when the drought index rises above 575, but firefighters maintain they have not seen an above average season of wildfire occurrence.
(courtesy Texas A&M Forest Service)
Over the past seven days, county firefighters have responded to fires in or near Burton, Chappell Hill, Gay Hill, and Prairie Hill. The Firefighters Association said all of these fires were kept to less than five acres, and that firefighters are not having any difficulty with controlling fires or keeping them small in size.
The Firefighters Association said its leaders hold the stance that a ban on outdoor burning should be a “last-ditch effort” in fire prevention methods.