Kendall County keeps outdoor burn ban after fire‑danger briefing

Kendall County Commissioners Court voted to keep an outdoor burning ban in effect after an emergency management briefing on March 10, citing continuing dry fuels and limited near‑term rain.

Brady (recorded in the transcript as the county emergency management coordinator) told the court that local rainfall had been light and that the county’s burn index remained high. "My recommendation is we leave it alone," he said, explaining fire‑environment forecasts and fire‑department requests to maintain the ban rather than repeatedly toggling it on and off.

Several commissioners acknowledged constituent frustration about wanting to burn small piles after rain, and asked whether the court could adopt a process to lift the ban for short windows (24–48 hours). Legal counsel advised the court that, under the statute cited to the court, the county cannot simply lift the order for a fixed 24‑ or 48‑hour period and then reapply it later without following the statutory process; options for more agile handling would require legal review and possibly a different statutory mechanism. The court directed staff to examine statutory options and website‑based notice practices to reduce public confusion.

The practical effect: the declared burn ban remains in place until the county judges or the court takes further action; staff said they will consult counsel and the Texas A&M Forest Service about options for more nimble local responses.

What to watch: the county suggested it could consider administrative or statutory changes to allow short‑duration lifts in the future, but did not adopt any new procedural rule on March 10.