AUSTIN (KXAN) — Across the city, Austin fire stations switched the dial from High to Extreme on wildfire danger signs near the street on Wednesday. Fire danger is at an all-time high as high winds, low humidity and near-dormant vegetation put the city on the brink.
“We respond to over 100 grass fires throughout the year,” said Jonathan Wright, a wildfire mitigation specialist with Austin Fire.
A small ember from pulling on chains or throwing a cigarette butt is all it takes to ignite an inferno, Wright said. “You don’t need the flames to come directly to your front door for a building to burn,” said Walter Fluke, a fire analyst with the Texas A&M Forest Service. Fire is a natural part of Texas, he said.
the The National Weather Service announced a weather watch for the fires to the area on Wednesday due to conditions. “There are a lot of components that go into predicting fire probabilities,” Fluke said.
“Our grasses, our brush species, some of our tree species, are very vulnerable to fire,” he said.
The Texas Forest Service’s Wildfire Hazard Explorer reveals this vulnerability. In Austin, the highest risk areas are typically located west of the MoPac Expressway. On Wednesday, though, due to weather conditions, East Austin is at greater risk.
“The proximity and density of some of the buildings and structures on the east side. That’s a big concern as well,” Wright said.
Wright advises people to clean up debris around their homes. The French Development Agency (AFD) asks local residents to take these steps during high fire danger.
- Properly dispose of smoking materials
- Use extreme caution when cooking/barbecuing outdoors
- If towing a trailer, make sure the chains do not drag along the ground
- Avoid hot work (welding, cutting, brazing, grinding)
- Remove debris from gutters, roof and under roofs
AFD offers a service where they can come to assess your home’s bushfire risk. You can register on the AFD website to obtain the service.
This year, more than 11,000 acres have burned in wildfires across Central Texas, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. Thirty-nine fires were burning in KXAN’s 15-county viewing area, as of October 24.
KXAN tracks all of this data and more. You can learn more about local wildfires at the KXAN Data Hub.
Travis County burn ban
Travis County’s burn ban is in effect until county commissioners decide to lift it.
Travis County has launched a new alert system through Warn Central Texas that sends messages to people when a burn ban is in place.
To register, text: TCBURNBAN to 888777.