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Drought increasing fire danger
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Volunteer firefighters work to put out a grass fire on NWCR 1040 last week. County officials warn that the continued drought in North Central Texas has raised the fire danger for the area. Stephen Farris
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Drought index for Navarro County reaches extreme level
Drought conditions in Navarro County are reaching dangerous levels, according to Eric Ryan Myers, county emergency management coordinator.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index, or KDBI, a tool that the weather service and government agencies use to track conditions now shows Navarro County in the highest category, with a rating of 708 recorded Aug. 14.
Burn ban conditions are indicated when the rating reaches a level of 600, which prompted county officials to enact a burn ban in June. The levels have generally risen since then, due to the lack of significant rainfall in North Texas.
“Rainfall predictions remain below normal for the next 30 to 60 days,” Myers told county commissioners Monday.
Myers said that the county rainfall average is 16.5 inches below normal for the last year, and nearly 25.5 inches below average over the last two years.
“This roughly equates to 45 percent below normal conditions,” Myers added.
As a result of the drought, county officials have requested a disaster declaration for area agricultural producers due to the drought’s effect on crops, according to Judge Alan Bristol.
“The U.S.D.A. gave us the approval to make the disaster declaration request, and we have sent that to the Governor,” Bristol said Monday.
Myers also noted that so far brush fires haven’t been as big a problem as they were earlier this year during the previous burn ban, but cautioned if conditions don’t improve, brush and grass fires can be a bigger threat.
A total of 152 Texas counties have enacted various forms of outdoor burn bans. 14 counties have established disaster declarations as a result of the drought.
Temperatures topping 100 degrees with little chance of rain are expected across all of North Central Texas through the upcoming weekend.
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Bob Belcher may be contacted via e-mail at belcher@corsicanadailysun.com.
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