It's hot.
It's dry.
It's dangerous.
Even though the Burn Ban was listed way down in the agenda, item no 8, it had the quickest response from the Commissioners Court in their meeting this past Monday, August 12th.
Almost before Judge Fauley could say 'The next item on the agenda is the Burn Ban,' Commissioner Kenley Kroll made a motion to reinstate the Burn Ban. And as he was finishing that sentence, Commissioner James Lebow seconded the motion.
The judge called for a vote, and all four commissioners immediately responded 'aye.'
Exactly what does a burn ban mean for citizens?
I asked our Emergency Management Coordinator Marsha Hardy for a simple explanation: A simple definition of a burn ban is that “anything with an open flame that produces an ember is not allowed.” Per the Texas Forest Service, “local governments are empowered to take action on the behalf of those they serve. When drought conditions exist, a burn ban can be put in place by a county judge or county commissioners court prohibiting or restricting outdoor burning for public safety.” During court Monday, August 12th, the Commissioners Court agreed that the conditions were favorable for possible wildfires and placed a Burn Ban in San Saba County.
To show how much 'fuel' there is out there for fires, just a few hours after the meeting was over, a fire broke out on FM 500. Per Chief Deputy Reid, San Saba VFD and Richland Springs VFD were called to help out with the fire. The road (FM 500) was blocked off for about 30-40 minutes because of smoke, but the fire did not jump the road. They were able to get it under control.
Check back next week for “Catching up with the Commissioners” for other news from their August 12th meeting as well as more information on the FM 500 fire.