Current situation
On Mar. 3, Travis County Judge Andy Brown signed a Declaration of Local Disaster as a result of the National Weather Service, or NWS, forecasts of extreme fire weather conditions.
Under the declaration, a countywide burn ban remained in effect for seven days. After this period, county officials and emergency management experts reassessed conditions, determining the need for a new burn ban.
“We’re experiencing strong wind gusts, decreasing humidity, and dry vegetation—conditions that create a critical wildfire threat,” Travis County Chief Fire Marshal Gary Howell said in a statement. “High winds and dry fuels make it easy for wildfires to ignite and spread rapidly.”
This ban on outdoor burning does not affect prescribed burns conducted under the supervision of a prescription burn manager, according to a news release. It also does not affect outdoor welding, cutting or grinding operations, and outdoor hot works operations conducted in accordance with the guidelines established by the Travis County Fire Marshal’s Office.
For additional questions, please contact the Fire Marshal’s Office at 512-854-4621.
What you should know
Residents throughout Central Texas are urged to remain vigilant and use caution. Officials ask residents to avoid outdoor burning, keep cars off dry grass, properly dispose of cigarettes and properly store trailer chains to prevent sparks.
Other precautions include avoiding the use of charcoal grills and smokers in windy conditions as embers can be blown away and spark a wildfire. The Travis County Fire Marshal recommends having water nearby in case of a fire.
Central Texas residents can sign up for local emergency alerts at WarnCentralTexas.org.
Residents are also encouraged to visit the Ready, Set, Go! wildfire preparedness website to actively prepare homes for wildfire season.
Bobby Abbott, Travis County Emergency Services District No. 6 fire chief, advised locals to take time to create a defensible space to better protect homes.
A defensible space is a buffer between a home and surrounding vegetation or debris, such as trees, brush or even missing roof shingles. This buffer helps improve a house’s chance of surviving a wildfire and gives firefighters a safe area to work in to defend the structure.
Here are some steps individuals can take to reduce the risk of fire around their home:
- Clean out gutters to remove leaves and debris
- Clear dried leaves and vegetation within 5 feet of home
- Trim tree branches so they are at least 10 feet away from the residence
- Keep flammable items away from house or store them in a garage or shed
The city of Austin ranks sixth in the nation for number of homes at risk of wildfire, Mayor Kirk Watson told reporters during last year's pre-emptive declaration of disaster ahead of a winter fire season.
Additionally, southeast and southwest Travis County in particular exhibit areas with high fire risk aspects.
According to a recent report from the Texas Comptroller, an estimated 85% of wildfires in Texas ignite within just two miles of a community. The report also highlights Austin as one of the state's highest-risk areas for wildfires.
An estimated 46,878 buildings lie in direct exposure to potential wildfire, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture's Forest Service.
