Victoria County officials warn burn ban possible as drought conditions worsen

Victoria County commissioners were told Aug. 18 that the county’s drought index is approaching the level that typically prompts a burn ban and that the county judge will implement restrictions if county staff advises it.

County emergency monitoring staff said the county’s KVDI — the drought index the county uses to measure fire risk — had risen to 566, "which is a 10, increase from Friday," and that small roadside and field fires have already increased. "I don't usually recommend, burn ban until we get to about 575," the county official said.

The county judge responded that he would implement a burn ban "at your recommendation," and that the action could be ratified by the commissioners at the next court meeting. No formal motion was made to adopt a ban during the Aug. 18 meeting; staff advised the court that they would monitor conditions and notify the judge if implementation was appropriate.

Why it matters: A burn ban restricts open burning and certain outdoor activities to reduce the risk of wildfires. County staff said the current conditions include an increasing number of roadside fires and a higher KVDI reading; they noted a 40% chance of rain later in the week but that the county remains "quickly approaching" the usual threshold.

Discussion-only items in the meeting included monitoring plans and the judge’s instruction to act on staff recommendation. The transcript shows the judge authorized staff to activate a burn ban when appropriate, and that the court may ratify that action at the following meeting.

The county official said they will continue to monitor conditions through Thursday and Friday and will notify the judge if conditions meet the burn-ban threshold.