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Panola County issues burn ban, does not include Shelby, San Augustine Counties, rain on the way should help with dry conditions

With fire index numbers increasing across the area due to a lack of rain, one area county government has taken a proactive approach to help with the increased wild-fire danger.

 

The Panola County Commissioners’ Court issued a burn ban yesterday morning for Panola County residents until further notice.

 

According to the Keetch-Byram Drought Index that’s provided by the Texas A&M Forest Service, Panola County’s index was 675, approaching the not always automatic trigger number to issue a burn ban of 700.

 

According to officials in both the Shelby and San Augustine County Judge’s offices, neither county has discussed the possibility of burn bans.

 

As of Tuesday morning, the KBDI in Shelby County was 645, with San Augustine’s at 626.

 

The entire deep East Texas area is above 600, with some isolated areas within counties bordering Louisiana, including Shelby County at 700.

 

We had mentioned in a story late last week how dry it was, and the need to burn with caution. We’re some inch-and-a-half below normal in monthly rainfall for September, and unless we get some help from the cold front due in Thursday, we could see more counties in the region possibly issuing similar burn bans.

 

Again, the only burn ban in the immediate area is for Panola County.

 

Our forecast is calling for the possibility of a good rain with an approaching cold front late Thursday and Friday morning.

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