Both Kleberg and Kenedy County temporarily lifted their burn bans during respective commissioners court meetings Monday.

The decision follows heavy rains which began last Wednesday and ended Saturday.

Precinct 3 Commissioner Roy Cantu said Kleberg’s ban was lifted at the request of residents who were concerned about safety and health hazards at their homes.

“They were having problems with the brush that was piling up and the varmints and snakes that would hide in it,” Cantu said.

“It had been building up because of the brush not being able to be burnt.”

Kleberg County commissioners now await credible data before recommending a permanent lifting of the burn ban.

“Because the rain came so quickly, we did not have time to get the necessary information, which is why we temporarily lifted the burn ban,” Cantu said.

“Until we get more information, at that time we will

Burn make a decision to whether renew or permanently lift it.”

The county, however, is asking residents to follow proper protocol when burning.

“They still need to be careful, even though the grass is green on top there is still a lot of dead grass in the area,” Cantu said. “They also need to make sure they have a good water supply handy should anything get out of control, make sure they have the area secured in that there is not any other material which can carry the fire away, check the winds that day to make sure they are not high because there is still some potential for the fire to spread over some of the dry areas if people are not prepared for it.”

Up to Friday, the county had received 3.2 to 8 inches of rain with the majority in Kingsville and the Riviera beach area, Kleberg County Extension Agent John Ford said last week. Those showers invigorated the county’s moisture but Ford was nowhere ready to declare the recent drought broken.

Cantu agreed.

“The rain from last week was only a couple of inches deep in some areas but there are still some dry spots,” he said. “These conditions, with a little sunshine, could go away soon and the grass will not continue to stay green.”

Kenedy County Fire Department Chief Arnoldo M. de la Rosa said Sarita was also doused last week.

“We received over seven inches and any time you have a long period of rain it is a benefit because it soaks into the ground,” he said. “But we didn’t get that much rain in all of the county’s areas. You get seven inches in one spot and half an inch at another.”

After last week’s showers, Kenedy County residents also began requesting permission to burn brush.

“A seasonal change can do that and now we have that,” De la Rosa said. “There have been people calling asking us for permission to do control burns because they have brush piled up that needs to be taken care of.”

Land conditions, however, can dry back up just as fast as they moistened.

“We may have another seasonal change and it may dry up again,” De la Rosa said. “We have only had so much rain and if we have another dry spell we would have to reinstate the burn ban.”

De la Rosa is simply asking people to use their heads when starting a controlled blaze.

“They just need to take all of the normal safety precautions,” De la Rosa said. “Any areas around you, while you’re burning, you have to be clear of them; you can’t just start burning because there is still some underlying brush out there beneath the green grass that just came up. You have to watch what you are doing and make sure your area is clear before you Sales Tax