Emergency management briefs commissioners on fire risk; no county burn ban enacted

Wichita County’s emergency management office briefed commissioners on local fire danger on Jan. 6, reporting an increase in the Keetch‑Byram Drought Index (KBDI) and several recent roadside fire starts. Lynn (emergency management) told the court the county’s KBDI had increased and that forecasts showed a 40% chance of rain Wednesday and 60–80% on Thursday, which could alter fire risk.

Lynn flagged a large fire in neighboring Clay County of roughly 100 acres and said local chiefs had not requested a burn ban. Commissioners agreed to continue weekly weather monitoring and to involve fire chiefs if conditions worsen. No burn ban was issued at the meeting.

What’s next: emergency management will update the court weekly and commissioners said they would convene emergency meetings if a catastrophic event or worsening conditions warrant action.