Kendall County is under a local disaster declaration that effectively bans outdoor burning, hot works, and the sale and use of all fireworks for the next few days.
County Judge Shane Stolarczyk signed the disaster declaration on March 18, certifying that elevated fire weather conditions “pose an imminent threat of widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property.”
Persistent drought conditions, a significant lack of rain, high gusty winds and low humidity combined to present hazardous conditions for firefighters across the state, who struggled early in the week to bring numerous acre-scorching blazes under control.
Kendall County Fire Marshal Brady Constantine spent most of last weekend and Monday at the Bootes Fire, about 12 miles north of Sisterdale. Winds reaching gusts of 50 mph fanned flames and sparks enough to spread the fire into the path of another blaze, the Headwaters Fire.
While those fires consumed about 120 Kendall County acres, fire crews from around the state came together to fight the Crabapple Fire north of Fredericksburg, which burned out of control for most of the weekend.
It eventually consumed 9,858 acres before fire crews were able to strengthen fire lines and effectively contain the blaze, to 98% on Thursday.
Boerne Fire Department and the Sisterdale Volunteer Fire Department each sent a brush truck with a team of two firefighters over the weekend.
Texas Government Code 418.014 gives a county’s judge the authority to declare a local disaster within the county “if the threat of disaster is imminent.”
Kendall County Commissioners Court Judge Shane Stolarczyk declared “a local state of disaster based on the threat of extremely intense wildfires in Kendall County,” the signed proclamation reads.
Along with the bans of outdoor burning and “hot works” — defined as any activity that generates heat, sparks or open flames — the order gives a judge the authority to order the evacuation of all or part of the population from a threatened area and to control ingress to and egress from a disaster area.
A violation of the disaster declaration is punishable as a Class C misdemeanor by a fine not exceed $500.
Under the government code, the proclamation declaring a state of disaster activates the disaster recovery and rehabilitation aspects of the state emergency management plan, applicable to the area subject to the declaration; and authorizes the deployment and use of any forces to which the plan applies, and for the use or distribution of any stockpiled supplies, equipment and materials that may made available.
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