By Michael V. Hannigan
Henderson County Commissioners Court instituted a 28-day burn ban Tuesday morning.
Henderson County Fire Marshal Shane Renberg told commissioners the county’s average Keetch-Byram Drought Index score is 624. A burn ban is recommended when the KBDI score is above 575.
Renberg also told commissioners that there were mostly 100 degree days and no rain in the forecast for the next seven days.
Renberg suggested the 28-day ban to avoid the need for continually bringing the issue before Commissioners Court.
“If conditions change and it gets better, we can take it off,” he said.
The ban was approved on a 4-1 vote with Pct. 3 Commissioner Ronny Lawrence voting no. Lawrence did not explain why he was voting no during the commissioners’ discussion, but he has been a vocal opponent of burn bans in the past.
Ignoring the burn ban is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $500.
You can find more details about burn bans here on the Henderson County Texas website.