Bell County issues emergency burn ban amid surge in grass fires

BELL COUNTY, Texas — Bell County Judge David Blackburn issued an emergency order stopping outdoor burning across the county as officials respond to a dramatic increase in grass and wildland fires.

The burn ban will take effect Tuesday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m. and remain in place until Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 8 p.m., according to the emergency order.

The decision comes after Bell County Emergency Management reported 42 grass and wildland fire incidents in the past seven days. The surge in fires coincides with deteriorating drought conditions, as measured by the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI), which has recorded Bell County above 600.

Drought index signals heightened fire risk

The KBDI is a widely used tool for assessing forest fire potential that ranges from 0 to 800. A reading of 0 indicates no moisture depletion, while 800 represents extreme drought conditions.

The index calculates a daily water balance that accounts for precipitation and soil moisture, assuming a maximum storage capacity of 8 inches. Values are expressed in hundredths of an inch of soil moisture depletion.

Currently, the index uses ground-based estimates of temperature and precipitation from weather stations. The data is manually interpolated by experts at the Texas A&M Forest Service for counties across the state.

The Bell County Commissioners Court will review the status of the burn ban during its scheduled meeting Tuesday, Oct. 14, where further action may be considered.