Austin and Travis County officials announced they are preemptively issuing disaster declarations to prepare for area wildfires, saying the current dry and windy conditions pose a high risk.
The disaster declarations that Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Travis County Judge Andy Brown are issuing will make it easier to access resources in case they are needed due to a wildfire, the two local leaders said at a news conference Thursday. It will also allow the city to use its resources to make preparations to fight wildfires.
“Right now, we have the makings of a disaster if we’re not careful,” Watson said. “What this declaration will help us do is avoid a disaster and to be ready to respond if a fire should start.”
Austin has gone 41 days without measurable rainfall, Watson said Thursday, adding that most of Central Texas is in a drought.
A mitigation effort already underway is the positioning of resources at “high-stakes areas,” Watson said.
Gov. Greg Abbott also recently issued a disaster declaration for 143 Texas counties, including Travis, Williamson and Hays counties, amid the growing wildfire threat.
Major weekend events in Austin could pose increased fire risks
The city is expecting an influx of visitors this weekend due to several major events including the Texas vs. Georgia college football game and the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix.
Bill Wilson, interim director of Austin’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said the city is expecting about 250,000 people on and around the University of Texas campus grilling and tailgating for the football game, and nearly 400,000 people on the Circuit of The Americas grounds this weekend for the Grand Prix with cars and campers near dry grass.
Concerts at the Moody Center and a sold-out soccer game at the Q2 stadium are also in store this weekend, Wilson said.
“This means our city will be filled with thousands of visitors that may not be used to the dry climate we are currently experiencing,” Wilson said. “To prepare for these events, our office is working with all of our public safety agencies, and we also have the Emergency Operations Center staffed this weekend.”
Main causes of wildfires and how to prevent them
Travis County and surrounding counties saw several wildfires last year that burned hundreds of acres of land.
“The largest number of human-caused wildfires is a result of careless debris burning,” according to the Texas A&M Forest Service website. “Other causes of wildfires include sparks from welding and grinding equipment, carelessly discarded smoking materials, vehicles’ exhaust systems and arson.”
To prevent wildfires, the National Weather Service recommends:
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Avoiding the use of welding or grinding equipment near grass and dry brush.
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Avoiding parking vehicles in tall, dry grass and weeds that could be ignited.
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Not tossing cigarette butts on the ground.
Watson recommended Austinites sign up for Warn Central Texas alerts about regional fire conditions and review the Austin Wildfire Coalition website for information that’s specific to Austin and Travis County, and for information on how to prepare your home.
Austin Fire Chief Joel Baker recommends people have evacuation kits ready in the event of an emergency. Those kits should include: water, food, medications, important documents, pet supplies and a flashlight.
Baker also said households should establish meeting spots away from affected areas and discuss evacuation plans to prepare for an emergency.
“Here in Travis County, we’ve seen a wildfire start because a driver didn’t have a metal chain securely attached to the truck, and it dragged on the pavement, and that created a spark, and that created a wildfire,” Brown, the Travis County judge, said Thursday. “When fire danger is high, any little spark could start a fire and be a real disaster.”
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: How Austin,Travis County are preparing for wildfires amid dry weather
