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Austin, Texas – Around 65% of homes in Travis County and about half of homes in Austin are at high risk of being affected by forest fires, according to local fire department officials.
Justice Jones, forest fire officer with the Austin Fire Department, said they recently completed one of the toughest risk assessments in the country.
The effort was largely sparked by the string of forest fires that occurred over Labor Day weekend in 2011, which destroyed thousands of acres and more than 1,600 homes.
Fast forward to 2021, and a devastating winter storm in February left dry vegetation behind.
“The winter storm caused leaves to fall off the frost-damaged trees, and that leaf litter then forms more of a continuous bed of fuel on the forest floor,” said Jones. “So we look at all of these factors and how they relate to each other and work to relate them to the effects of wildfire.”
Additionally, a rainy season in Austin has added more vegetation that will eventually dry up as well.
Texas A&M Forest Service helps fight forest fires in the Northwest
The Texas A&M Forest Service dispatched approximately 45 of its employees to help fight forest fires in the western United States.
“We have more vegetation than we have had in decades, and that means a big fire season is going to be worse than it has been in a long time,” said Will Boettner, wildfire specialist for The Travis County Marshal’s Office.
Combine this year’s weather with strong population growth and those who monitor forest fire risk have a lot on their hands.
“With 200 people moving to Austin every day, changes in our climate and an expanding footprint of development in the landscape, now is really a critical time to stay one step ahead in preparing for forest fires,” said Jones.
Much of this preparation involved training homeowners. Boettner encouraged people to look at the defensible zones around their homes: 0-5 feet (critical zone), 5-30 feet (lower risk), and 30-100 feet (lower risk).
“A lot of people just don’t understand which parts of their home are at risk,” said Boettner. “Most wildfire house fires aren’t caused by the flames touching and touching the house, but by things like embers floating in the air.
Boettner said embers can travel up to a quarter of a mile on a normal day. You can travel for miles on a windy day.
Austin plans to fell palm trees after 90% die in winter frost
The city of Austin is urging homeowners to have their own palm trees checked as a dead tree can be dangerous during hurricane season.
Homeowners can also check their home’s risk level using an online map. You can also call your local fire department and get a free ignition zone rating at home.
The Austin-Travis County Wildfire Coalition has also created a website that homeowners can access essential information.
At a meeting on Tuesday, Austin city council members were briefed on the threat of forest fires. District and city guides organized a town hall on Wednesday to educate the public until September.
“It is clear that we need to do more to prepare people for increasingly destructive weather events from climate change,” said Brigid Shea, Travis Co. commissioner who helped host the town hall.
In addition to educating the community, the AfD plans to start a wildfire battalion in October. A special team within the department that receives more intensive training in fighting forest fires.
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