For several years the citizens of the unincorporated area of Comal County have been asked to call the sheriff’s office dispatcher and log their controlled burns by giving their name, address of the burn and a telephone number.  Recently the dispatchers received 341 calls in an eight-hour period of people wanting to log their burns.  This volume of calls takes valuable time from dispatchers who are still required to handle regular telephone traffic, handle 911 calls and dispatch the appropriate personnel and equipment, and continue with the dispatch duties for several law enforcement agencies, fire and EMS. 

Effective immediately the Communications Section of the Sheriff’s Office will no longer be responsible for the logging of controlled burns.  Citizens will need to check the National Weather Service (830) 609-2029, The Weather Channel, television and radio stations and newspapers to determine the predicted wind speed of the day they wish to burn.  If the wind speed, including gusts, is predicted to exceed 23 mph (20 Knots) burning on that day is prohibited according to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) requirements.

If citizens have questions about the requirements on outdoor burning they can call the TCEQ at (210) 490-3096, their local fire department or the Comal County Fire Marshal’s Office.  The requirements for outdoor burning can be found on the Internet by going to www.co.comal.tx.us/Fire_Marshal.htm.

Citizens need to be familiar with the general requirements for allowable outdoor burning from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality as penalties for violations can be quite severe.  An offense is punishable for an individual by a fine of not less than $1,000 or more than $50,000, confinement in the county jail for a period not to exceed 180 days, or both.  An offense is punishable for a person other than an individual by a fine of not less than $1,000 or more than $100,000.

Note: there is an “underline” between Fire Marshal on the web address.

 

Wayne Ellington

Comal County Fire Marshal

(830) 643-3748

 

Comal County Burn Rules

Fire Marshal's Web Page

Safe Debris Burning Information

November, 2006