Dry, windy weather prevalent

The combination of dry conditions, high winds and low humidity have created a high fire danger, Fire Marshal Hershel Lee told Travis County Commissioners Court on March 5.

"Just yesterday afternoon we had a young man who [thought he] was burning safely in a barrel. A piece of trash flew out of the barrel and it burned up an RV," he said.

Travis, Hays, Caldwell and Williamson counties all had bans on outdoor burning in the counties' unincorporated areas in March. Travis County has had a burn ban since Jan. 29. The most recent ban was scheduled to expire March 27.

During a ban, outdoor cooking must be contained in grills or cooking devices, according to the fire marshal's office.

On March 12, Travis County approved an interlocal agreement with the City of Austin to complete a regional Community Wildfire Protection Plan and select a consultant to develop the plan.

The consultant is expected to conduct a countywide risk assessment and identify best practices for mitigating wildfire threats, among other tasks. The county had approved $100,000 for the project in October.

Austin Fire Department officials confirmed that a few unrelated structure fires took place in Southwest Austin in March. A Sonic drive-in on Brodie Lane and an apartment complex on Western Trails Boulevard were damaged March 4, and a Montessori school on Circle Drive burned on March 8.