Jim Wells County court implements 90-day burn ban as KBDI spikes

The Jim Wells County Commissioner's Court on Feb. 28 voted to implement a 90-day county burn ban after Emergency Management presented elevated Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) readings.

Emergency Management Coordinator Lance Brown told the court that the county’s KBDI was approximately 608 as of the day before the meeting, above the county’s 500 threshold for extreme drought-like conditions. Brown said the ban would let agricultural burners with adequate resources and safety plans continue permitted burns while limiting unsafe or illegal trash burns.

Brown described the burn-notification process: residents call dispatch, which refers the caller to Emergency Management; Brown then reviews plans with the requester and notifies local fire departments and commissioners about approved burns. He said the county posts burn notifications and sends texts to elected officials to reduce false alarms and confusion.

Brown noted one recent illegal burn on the north end of the county that produced hazardous trash and exposed copper wires; the responsible party received a citation. He emphasized that state rules through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality still apply and that burn notifications are necessary even during the ban.

Judge Pedro Pete Trevino Jr. and commissioners discussed operational flexibility: the court may lift the burn ban at any time if KBDI readings fall (Brown said a large rainfall bringing levels down to roughly 200–300 would justify lifting the ban). Commissioners asked that Emergency Management post notifications on the county website and Facebook and that dispatch continue routing requests to Brown.

Ending: The court approved the 90-day ban by voice vote and directed Emergency Management to post procedures and continue monitoring conditions; staff can lift the ban without returning to the court if KBDI readings improve to the pre-specified threshold.