Travis County Commissioners Court
January 17, 2012 (Agenda)
Item 5
Item 5 consider and take appropriate action on an order concerning outdoor burning in the unincorporated areas of Travis County and the next item we take up will be the one regarding pass-through financing, number 20.
>> good morning, judge, Commissioners, herschel lee, Travis County fire marshal.
my recommendation today is put a burn ban in place for unincorporated areas of Travis County n speaking to the fire chiefs this morning, over the last week there have been a number of burns that started out as controlled burns that were able to get outside of their containment area, although those fires did not spread very far very fast, the signs are that vegetation is drying and curing just like we expected it would and we have given the public an opportunity to take care of some of the issues that need to be taken care of, but we're to the point now that I think we should err on the side of safety, put the burn ban back in.
and then hopefully we'll have a spring green-up and we'll have a time when people can continue to burn if it's appropriate at that time.
finishes and in that interim, we are continue to go work on the issues of being able to permit burns all across Travis County, unincorporated Travis County.
there was a meeting -- actually a training meeting coming up in about two weeks for all of the areas that are enforcing fire codes to be sure we're all on the same page for that.
my recommendation today is put a burn ban in and the order is approved, that burn ban would expire February 15th I believe.
>> 30 days?
>> 30 days.
>> is that just the same routine that within followed when we lift burn ban will probably hold true for this new situation.
and I guess my whole question I guess is normal is folks unaware of what we're doing here today and haven't heard after, the the court decides to take this action, the way they are notified is you just go ahead and let that information be disclosed at this time as far as notification is concerned, I appreciate it.
>> yes, sir.
if the court takes the action to put a burn ban in place we look do a public service announcement, send that out to all news media before noon n talking to the fire chiefs this morning, we are expecting a windy day today.
and so they were telling people today that probably today was not going to be a good day to burn anyway.
so -- but if someone got by that and has a fire started and all of that will be taken into consideration as far as getting the message out to people.
but the sheriffs and the constables, all the news people will be notified today that -- of the action that the court takes today.
>> so the reasons in support of the imposing a ban are what now?
>> the small dry fuels, small fuels, grasses, those have dried and cured.
those ignite very easily.
and we are expecting warmer than normal and drier than normal weather for the next month.
and we are -- the weather man is talking about 75_ for this week before the week is over.
and that's with a norther coming in this afternoon.
so humidities will likely drop, but the small fuels and high winds are not a good come combination for having fires n precinct 1 over in the new sweden, new london area last Friday there was a four-acre fire over there last week.
it wasn't wind driven.
it really just is out in a rural area and when the grasses get on fire, they will burn easily.
>> do we have --
>> [inaudible] go ahead.
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to cut you off.
>> no, that's fine.
my office was not called.
I saw the call on the sheriff's office screen and I've contacted the esd 12 and esd 2 and neither of those agencies responded.
because I know a fire department responded, it must have come out of bastrop county.
it must have been in esd 13 in bastrop, Travis County esd 1 would have been responding agency.
I checked on that this morning but none of the local agencies responded to that.
at the time the fire was going on the deputies were saying they thought it was a mower.
so that's a possibility.
but my office was not notified to come and check on the fire.
>> your reference to a number of fires recently.
>> I did not get a number on that point.
but the number of fires is increasing.
the number of controlled burns, request for burns that were allowed, that number is increasing, that word that fire is getting outside the control area.
so that's, again, an indication that it's time to stop.
>> and the fire chiefs of the esds recommend the ban?
>> I spoke to seven of them this morning.
two of them are for the ban.
the others, only one of them said no, leave it off.
the others said we could go either way because we are seeing fires that beginning to get out.
they also reported that the number of calls that are coming in and requests for controlled burn that is correct number is dropping so indication people have gotten quite a bit of their material taken care of.
>> court members, questions, comments?
the.
>> move that we with put the burn ban back in place.
>> second.
>> seconded by everybody but the county judge.
>> if you can for me, find out how that fire initiated.
esd 13, they both serve travis and bastrop county.
if we can look into that and find out what started that fire from that report and then let me office know, I would really appreciate it.
>> I'll do it.
>> thank you.
>> any more discussion on the motion?
all in favor?
that carries unanimously.
thank you very much.
we'll have it back on the agenda next week just in case we need further action.
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