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A countywide ban on outdoor burning has been extended through May 11 due to the drought and risk of wildfires.
Bexar County commissioners approved the extension of the burn ban based on recommendations from the county fire marshal during their regular meeting on Tuesday at the county courthouse.
There's a county courthouse superstition that passage of such a ban by commissioners can trigger rain. Precinct 2 County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez shared that superstition with County Fire Marshal Chris Lopez.
"After we do this, usually 24 or 36 hours later, it rains. What should we expect?" Rodrguez said to Lopez.
The fire marshal told Rodriguez he hoped it would rain within 48 hours.
Meanwhile, County Judge Peter Sakai could be heard chanting in the background of the discussion between Rodriguez and Lopez.
"Rain, rain, rain," chanted the judge in hopes of ending the latest stretch of dry weather.
The San Antonio area has started its seventh year with drought conditions. Recent cold fronts have brought freezing weather, which has turned vegetation even more dry, brittle and fire prone.
County residents have been advised by the fire marshal in recent months to avoid any activity that might spark a wildfire, such as tossing a cigarette butt out of a vehicle window, parking a vehicle in dry grass, or performing outdoor work involving welding or grinding.
Residents in more rural and unincorporated areas should also create a perimeter around their homes that is free of fuels that could feed a wildfire, such as wood or brush piles. The lowest branches of trees should also be trimmed several feet above ground, so a grass fire will not spread into tree canopies and further fuel a wildfire.
