Austin Fire Dept.-Wildfire Division

Now is the time to get Ready for Wildfires. The next three day will be very high to extreme fire danger. To learn how to creat your wildfire action plan visit. www.atxwildfire.com

**RED FLAG WARNING**

**RED FLAG WARNING**

Increased fire danger continues across our area, with the risk level for today and tomorrow coming in at "High", and Saturday's risk level jumping to "Very High" east of IH-35.

With relative humidity in the 20 - 30 percent range and winds blowing up to 20 mph, the possibility of a wildfire is a very real one.

Given those conditions, the National Weather Service has issued another Red Flag Warning for today, beginning at noon and in effect until 9 p.m. Any fires that occur could spread rapidly and be extremely difficult to control, so any activity that could produce sparks and/or flames is highly discouraged.

**RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT**

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag warning for our area until 9 p.m. this evening. Wind, low relative humidity, and critically to extremely dry fuels mean critical fire conditions!

So please: no outdoor burning, dispose of ci******es properly, and postpone any activities that could spark off a wildfire! Any fires that ignite will be difficult to control and could spread rapidly.

Austin Fire Department and our partners with Austin Water are conducting a prescribed burn today. Restoring the land with fire, while reducing potential wildfire risk is a great team effort.

Because it's not a matter of IF the next wildfire occurs, but WHEN...

Yesterday, we held our annual wildfire preparedness forum for government wildfire professionals and land managers. Subject matter experts from across the local, state, and federal levels were on hand to discuss such topics as the national cohesive wildfire strategy, building structures to withstand wildfires, and how to create a wildfire-resistant landscape.

Special thanks to Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea and City of Austin Government Council Member Alison Alter, who were on hand, with the latter also presenting a Wildfire Preparedness Proclamation in honor of the day.

is this Saturday, May 6; are YOU ready to deal with, and recover from, such an event? Because as Smokey Bear says, "Only you can prevent wildfires".

Learn more: www.atxwildfire.com

(Photo credit: © Austin Fire Department/Division Chief Carrie Stewart)

This is what collaboration looks like. staff from across Austin and Travis County working towards Wildfire Adaptation.

We currently have four members—Lieutenants Mike Scott (Wildfire), Dave Dickerson (Engine 48/C), Kier Nixon (Prevention), and Firefighter Wes Porter (Ladder 18/A)—in Fort Stockton with the Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS) as part of a Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) deployment. With high/very high fire danger conditions in the region, they were called up on Saturday and we expect them to be gone until the end of next week.

Lieutenant Scott sent us an update on what they’ve been doing, including some dozer training:

“Due to the unique challenges faced while working around dozers, we spent the majority of our day on the 25th training with the dozer and its operators. They shared invaluable information with our engine crews about operating around dozers on the fire line. From operator visibility limitations to general safety recommendations, they covered the many aspects and objectives of firefighting from their perspective. To broaden our knowledge, TFS allowed us and Bryan Fire Department crew members to operate the dozer and practice cutting fire lines with the machine. Following the driving class, the engine crews assisted with trailering the dozer, and participated in the extensive rehab process that’s required post-use. It was one of the many unique experiences that we’ve benefited from while working alongside our local, state, and federal partners. While the forecasted fire danger is expected to decrease to moderate on the 27th, it is projected to return to high/very high on the 28th with relative humidity as low as 4 percent, and wind gusts up to 40 mph; the fine fuels in the area are dry and abundant.”

Also, a happy belated birthday to Firefighter Porter, who celebrated his 39th trip around the sun yesterday while remaining ready, alongside his crew members, to serve our fellow Texans.

(Photo credit: © Austin Fire Department/Lt. Mike Scott)

After eight days in the Panhandle, our four members we deployed there to assist fellow Texans with their wildfire risk are on their way home!

Safe travels, brothers; thanks for representing us so well.

(Photo credit: ©️Austin Fire Department/Fire Specialist Adam Aguirre)

*RED FLAG WARNING**

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag warning for our area, beginning at 4 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) through 4 p.m. Northwest winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph—along with low humidity of 6 to 15 percent—and dry fuels mean critical fire conditions!

So please: no outdoor burning, dispose of ci******es properly, and postpone any activities that could spark off a wildfire! Any fires that ignite will be difficult to control and could spread rapidly.

**CANCELLED: PRESCRIBED BURN TODAY**

From our partners at Austin Water, who were leading today’s prescribed burn:

“Out of an abundance of caution, crews have decided to postpone the prescribed burn that was planned for today on Austin Water's Water Quality Protection Lands.

“To keep up-to-date on the rescheduled date and other prescribed burns, sign up the automated notification list here: https://bit.ly/rxburnnotification

“To learn more about the Water Quality Protection Lands - some of our last wild spaces and have benefits to people, wildlife, and water - visit www.austintexas.gov/wildlandevents “

**PRESCRIBED BURN ALERT**

A prescribed burn is planned on Friday, February 17, to help restore native grasslands on Austin’s Water Quality Protection Land. Smoke may be visible. Learn more at https://www.austintexas.gov/news/prescribed-burns-planned-help-restore-native-grasslands-austins-water-quality-protection-lands-4

**RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT**

A cold front bringing strong winds of 15-25 mph, wind gusts up to 40 mph, and low humidity make for high fire danger today. Due to that very dangerous combination, a Red Flag warning has been issued from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today. PLEASE take the following precautions to prevent a wildfire from occurring!

•Do not throw cigarette butts out of your car window.

•Be careful to not drag trailer chains that could cause sparks.

•Do not park a recently driven car on dry grass.

•Avoid outdoor burning and check recently burned piles for flare-ups.

•Clear out dead vegetation from around your home.

Another great day of collaborative prescribed burning is almost complete. Reducing wildfire risk while protecting water quality is a win-win. Austin Water

Prescribed Fire professionals from Austin Water and Austin Fire are making excellent progress on todays ecological restoration burn.

We—along with our partners at Austin Water's Wildland Conversation Division—will be conducting a prescribed burn today and tomorrow (January 26 – 27) of up to 55 acres in the Water Quality Protection Lands (WQPL) in southwest Austin. Smoke may be visible in the region, especially to those in the following neighborhoods/areas: Shady Hollow, Circle C, Oak Park, Grey Rock, Esquel, Meridian, Sendera South, Brodie Springs, Bauerle Ranch, Southwest Territory, and Chaparral Park.

The mission of the WQPL program is to purchase land and conservation easement in the Barton Springs contributing and recharge zone, providing for the conservation, maintenance, and safety of part of Austin’s water supply. The objective is to produce the optimum level of clean, high-quality water from these lands to recharge the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer. Currently, the WQPL program manages more than 30,000 acres.

You can follow updates about this prescribed burn at https://wildfire-austin.hub.arcgis.com.

https://arcg.is/1CPCyv

The Austin Fire Department plans to conduct a prescribed burn on the Water Quality Protection Lands on Thursday and Friday, January 26-27, 2023. Smoke may be visible in the area as trained crews work. With favorable conditions in the forecast, crews plan to safely treat up to 55 acres with prescribed fire.

Wildfire The Wildfire Hub serves as a data portal for community-based initiatives that improve wildfire safety and wildfire mitigation efforts in Austin and Travis County.

Austin Fire Department’s Wildfire Division will be there alongside our preparedness partners. Come say hi and learn what you can do to prepare for wildfires.

Join me at an emergency preparedness pop-up event for Central/Northwest Austin on Wednesday, January 18th at the Howson Branch Library (2500 Exposition Blvd.). You can stop by between 4 and 7 pm (no RSVP required). Make sure to visit my table-I will be holding office hours there from 5-6:30 pm.

Experts will share information on specific disaster risks in District 10, how to sign up for emergency alerts, and what to include when creating a plan or building a supply kit. My office is working with Austin Emergency Management, Austin Fire Dept.-Wildfire Division, Austin Water, and other City departments to provide information about wildfire preparedness, power and water outages, our circuit reliability work, and utility conservation and customer assistance programs.

My table will have a limited number of water valve shutoff keys to share, and the first 50 guests will receive a free household emergency supply kit from Austin Emergency Management.

I hope to see you on the 18th!

*RED FLAG WARNING**

A Pacific cold front moves into Central Texas later today, bringing with it low humidity and winds from 15 – 25 mph. That combination means high fire danger, so a Red Flag warning has been issued for the area from noon – 8 p.m. Please: no outdoor burning, dispose of ci******es properly, and postpone any activities that could spark off a wildfire!

**PRESCRIBED BURN ALERT**

Assuming favorable conditions are in place, our Austin Fire Dept.-Wildfire Division―along with our partners from Austin Energy, Austin Water, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and Austin Parks and Recreation Department―will be conducting a prescribed burn tomorrow, Friday, January 13 in a portion of the Commons Ford Metropolitan Park. Ignition is set for 11 a.m. and the burn should be completed by approximately 2 p.m., in case you see smoke in the area.

**PRESCRIBED BURN ALERT**

Our Natural Resources Division is planning to conduct a prescribed burn on the Onion Creek Wildlife Sanctuary tomorrow - October 5, 2022.
Smoke may be visible from 10 am until sunset near the intersection of SH 130 and HWY 71 as well as in or around Hornsby Bend and Webberville.
Prescribed burns are used to help reduce wildfire risk to parks and neighboring communities. A team of highly trained professionals within PARD Natural Resources will lead the burn with personnel and equipment support from Travis County Parks, Austin Fire Department, and other land management agencies.

Drought conditions mean more chances of wildfires. Thanks to Spectrum News 1 Texas, who recently sat down with our Wildfire Mitigation Manager Justice Jones to learn how our team deals with extreme drought conditions.
https://spectruminfocus.com/section/in-focus/in-focus/2022/09/04/wildfires-and-droughts

Wildfires and droughts Drought conditions mean more chances of wildfires.

Happy 78th birthday to one of the most iconic characters in advertising history: Smokey Bear! “Born” on August 9, 1944, Smokey was developed by the U.S. Forest Service and the Ad Council to promote their joint campaign of forest fire prevention.

Now a symbol of wildfire prevention as well—and despite the campaign's success through the years—wildfires remain one of the most critical issues across the United States, as we know all too well around here this summer. Smokey’s message that, “Only you can prevent wildfires” is just as relevant and urgent today as it was in 1944.

If you’d like to join Smokey’s virtual birthday celebration, you can do so at 2 p.m. CDT this afternoon via his livestream! You’ll find him at https://www.facebook.com/smokeybear.

(Photo credit: © Austin Fire Department)

Grass fire near FM 969 and FM 973 is 80 percent contained; roughly 100 acres burned. Bulldozers from Texas A&M Forest Service alongside fire crews on the scene kept any structures from being damaged and prevented any injuries. Crews now monitoring for downwind embers in a nearby trailer park.

📷 © Austin Fire/Fire Chief Joel G. Baker