Fast-moving thunderstorms that moved through Bee County over the weekend did little to dampen the danger of wildfires, Bee County Judge David Silva said Tuesday.
“We’ve had a lot of people calling and asking if the rain we received was enough to lift the burn ban,” he said. “Unfortunately, no, we did not get enough rain to lift the burn ban. The burn ban is still in effect.”
The ban prohibits burning outdoors unless it is done by a state-certified burn manager who has received a burn permit from the county.
Rural residents may also burn household trash from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday as long as they burn the garbage in a barrel covered with a wire mesh to prevent embers from escaping and starting a wildfire.
Bee County is in an extreme drought, according to David Morgan, the county’s emergency management coordinator.
He said the county presently ranks between 700 and 800 on the Keetch-Byrum Drought Index, which measures moisture in the soil, precipitation in the air and temperature.
The drought index ranges from 0 to 800, where a drought index of 0 represents no moisture depletion, and an index of 800 represents absolutely dry conditions.
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