Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wildfire topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Kendall County judge reinstates 90-day outdoor burning ban after spike in fires
Summary
At a special-called meeting on Feb. 18, 2026, the Kendall County commissioners court voted 3-0 to reinstate an outdoor burning ban for up to 90 days, citing multiple uncontrolled burns, stretched firefighting resources and worsening fire-weather forecasts from the Texas Forest Service.
Judge Stelhorznick, presiding over a special-called Kendall County Commissioners Court meeting on Feb. 18, 2026, moved to reinstate a countywide prohibition on outdoor burning for up to 90 days and the court approved the order by a 3-0 vote.
The judge said staff prepared background showing a deteriorating local burn index and a rapid increase in uncontrolled fires over several days. "By Sunday, we had a single burn that was 19.887 acres," the judge recounted, and while there were "0 loss of property or personal injury reported other than natural vegetation and fencing," resources were "extremely exhausted." The judge attributed the briefing to county emergency-management staff (identified in the transcript as "Brady" and "Bridal Constantine, our emergency management coordinator and fire marshal").
The judge told the court the KBI burn index had been 496 at the prior agenda deadline and that the Texas Forest Service forecast moved to "extremely dry, worsening conditions" with days of critical fire danger and little measurable precipitation. Citing those conditions and similar actions in surrounding counties, the judge asked the court to enact Order O20260218-1 "prohibiting outdoor burning for a period of up to 90 days," which he said should take the county through May 19, 2026 unless several days of measurable precipitation warranted lifting the ban.
After the judge made the motion and a commissioner seconded, the court took a voice vote. The transcript records three "Aye" votes and the presiding officer stating, "Motion carries 3 0." The judge said he would sign the official order and have fellow commissioners sign while they were present.
The special-called session adjourned at about 4:19 p.m. with no further business on the docket. The order reinstates an immediate prohibition on outdoor ground fires in Kendall County for the statutory maximum of up to 90 days unless the commissioners vote to lift it earlier or weather conditions materially improve.
