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Studios may be exempt from restrictions with stringent oversight
Commissioners extended the countywide burn ban Monday but included a tailored exception for commercial film production in the area.
County Judge Gregory Klaus signed the order Feb. 9 to continue the restrictions on outdoor fires through Feb. 23. Commissioners later amended the language of burn bans to allow commercial film studios to conduct burns under strict supervision and at their own cost.
Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management Coordinator James Altgelt said the change ref lects the county’s growing film presence and the need to balance public safety with economic impact.
“When we have a professional business doing those types of operations, a burn ban that could potentially go 200 days doesn’t adversely impact their economic viability,” he said.
According to Altgelt, the fire chief responsible for any given studio area will decide if a burn plan is appropriate. Any fires lit during a ban period would require onsite firefighters paid for by the operation, not taxpayers.
The decision comes as the county’s Keeth-Bryam Drought Index (KBDI) remains elevated. The index, which measures soil moisture deficiency on a scale from 0 to 800, averaged 603 from Jan. 1 through Feb. 8, records show.
“While we dropped a little bit with some of the moisture that we received from the winter storm that came in … parts of the county are still in drought conditions,” Altgelt said.
Officials said the ban, originally issued Jan. 16, can’t stop all illegal burning, and violations can strain limited resources.
Small debris burns can trigger a significant emergency response. Assistant Chief Mark Wobus of Bastrop/Travis County Emergency Services District No. 1 said crews routinely respond to burn violations and out-of-control debris fires.
“If we’re called out because a citizen is doing a burn that’s in violation of the burn ban … it takes our resources right away from the potential of a true emergency that will delay our response,” he said.
On Jan. 11, ESD No.1 units responded to a reported structure fire in a rural area off FM 1704, requesting assistance from multiple departments due to limited water supply. The call turned out to be a large debris pile burn that was mistaken for a house fire.
“That simple little burn had a huge ripple that affected multiple departments here in the county,” Wobus said.
While the county remains under a burn ban, Wobus urged residents to check official sources and call their local fire station or the Sheriff’s Office if they have questions.
“It’s not only problematic for themselves if they burn something and it gets away, but it could also impact their neighbor,” Wobus said.
