(Seguin) – The Guadalupe County Commissioners Court has recently approved a 90-day burn ban for the unincorporated areas of the county.
The action comes as the Keetch-Byram Drought Index, or KBDI, continues to climb across the region. The KBDI is a scale used to measure drought conditions and the potential for wildfires, ranging from zero to 800. A reading of 500 or higher is considered a threshold in which restrictions such as burning come into play.
Patrick Pinder, Guadalupe County emergency management coordinator and fire marshal says the county’s current KBDI reading has surpassed that threshold, making conditions very dangerous.
“Fire departments are busy and so what this is — is just to implement the burn ban effective for 90 days. Currently in Guadalupe County, we’re at 629 on the KBDI. Bexar County is at 550, Comal County is at 585, Gonzales is 646, Hays County is 580 and Wilson is 626. Several counties around us have started to implement those burn bans,” said Pinder.
Officials say those who violate the order which went into effect on Sept. 2, could face a criminal penalty. They say the Class C misdemeanor is punishable by a fine of up to $500.