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Outdoor burning is allowed again in unincorporated Bastrop County nearly 90 days after County Judge Gregory Klaus issued a disaster declaration and emergency order banning it.
The gist
During an April 13 Bastrop County Commissioners meeting, Emergency Management Coordinator James Altgelt explained that recent rainfall helped lower the risk for wildfires.
Though the ban is lifted, officials emphasized that residents should remain cautious when burning outdoors.
The details
The region’s Keetch-Byram Drought Index, which is used to measure wildfire potential, dropped significantly since Klaus issued the ban Jan. 16—bottoming out April 15 at just above the increased risk level of 400.
The KBDI scale ranges from 0-800, and the Texas A&M Forest Service officials said any level above 400 indicates an increased potential for wildfires.
For reference, the KBDI on Sept. 4, 2011, the day the Bastrop County Complex Fire ignited, was 789.
