County says no to burn ban request
By BARRY HALVORSON news@leader-news.com

Thinking the weather predictors might get it right, Wharton County Commissioners Court took no action on a possible burn ban Monday.

Combining predictions for rain this week with a Keetch- Byram Drought Index average under 500, the commissioners passed on a burn ban said they could reconsider one if the situation doesn't change at their Jan. 28 meeting.

Wharton County Emergency Management Coordinator Andy Kirkland said the burn ban recommendation was not based on the dryness of the soil, which is the basis for the KBDI index, but on the amount of fuel available on the ground due to last year's high rainfall total.

"The drought index average is 362 (as of Monday morning), but in the west half of the county it is higher," he said. "It was up to 608 near the intersection of the Wharton-Matagorda-Jackson County lines. But in the past, we've never tried to do a burn ban in only part of the county because of the possible confusion."

He added several adjacent or area counties, including Colorado, Fort Bend and Lavaca, have burn bans in place.

Commenting on the past weekend, Kirkland said it looked "like half the county was on fire" because of the number of controlled burns being done. But he added local fire departments were also called out for four grass fire responses.

Precinct 4 Commissioner Jimmy Kainer said some of those calls are for controlled burns, adding that since the county established an automatic burn ban when the KBDI average reaches 500, he would vote against any ban with a lower number.

Precinct 3 Commissioner Philip Miller countered by saying each call still represents a response by firefighters and that if a ban is needed, then it's needed.

Kirkland said the false calls can be a problem avoided by property owners following the county's burn procedures by notifying the Sheriff's Department of their intent to burn before starting.

"We try to do something to educate the people every couple of years," he said.