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County and TPWD urge clear burn‑plan notifications, annual plan reviews during burn bans
Summary
Texas Parks and Wildlife advised Kerr County on prescribed‑burn best practices: written burn plans, annual review, certified burn managers for burns during burn bans and notifications to sheriff dispatch and volunteer fire departments; the court instructed staff to publish guidance and urged landowners to coordinate with dispatch.
KERRVILLE, Texas — Following resident concerns and recent confusion about prescribed burns during county burn bans, Kerr County Commissioners Court hosted a technical briefing from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and clarified local expectations.
Wesley Evans, TPWD regional fire coordinator, told the court a prescribed burn should be governed by a written plan that identifies the burn manager, site information, personnel and equipment, safety measures, notification requirements and weather prescriptions. He recommended reviewing or updating plans at least annually and emphasized that certified, insured prescribed burn managers may be authorized to burn during a county burn ban (unless an emergency declaration overrides that permission). Certified managers should carry the burn plan on site and make notifications to the sheriff’s dispatch and local VFDs.
Sheriff Sykes and commissioners urged landowners and contractors to notify dispatch and the local volunteer fire department before burning, even if a burn plan is on file, to prevent unnecessary emergency responses and ensure mutual‑aid coordination. Commissioners also discussed opportunities to post one standard burn‑plan template and a “do/not burn” checklist on the county website to reduce confusion.
Outcome: The court directed staff to post consistent guidance and templates for prescribed burns on the county website and to require that, when burning during a ban with a certified manager, the burn plan be available on site. Commissioners also encouraged greater coordination with the emergency operations center and mutual‑aid partners for larger burns.
Context: The discussion followed multiple small‑scale and prescribed burns observed during recent weather events; commissioners emphasized that controlled burning remains a valuable land‑management tool when done with appropriate safeguards.
