Citing worsening drought conditions, the Travis County Commissioners Court has banned outdoor burning in unincorporated areas of the county until Sept. 5.
The county measures moisture using the Keetch-Bryam Drought Index, in which zero represents saturation and 800 represents a complete lack of moisture.
On Aug. 7, Travis County Fire Marshal Hershel Lee said the average drought index countywide was 447 and increasing by roughly 10 to 13 points a day.
"The top 8 inches of grasses and small fuels are drying out quickly," Lee said.
