Travis County and Austin urge residents to prepare as wildfire risk rises

Travis County Judge Andy Brown and Austin Mayor Kirk Watson joined county commissioners, fire chiefs and emergency-management officials at a joint news conference in Austin to mark Wildfire Awareness Month and urge residents to prepare for a hotter, drier wildfire season.

The officials said the region’s growing wildland-urban interface and recent fires underscore the need for household preparedness. "The choices you make now could save your home, your family, and your neighbors," Judge Andy Brown said, urging residents to create defensible space and prepare evacuation kits.

City and county leaders emphasized why the topic matters. Mayor Kirk Watson said the city’s recently updated wildland-urban-interface (WUI) map now covers roughly 51% of Austin’s habitable land, up from about 38% nearly a decade ago, increasing the number of homes considered at risk. "We’re seeing hotter summers, longer droughts, and more frequent windy days," Watson said, linking local trends to intensifying weather patterns.

Fire officials described specific steps residents can take. David Wilson, fire chief of Travis County Emergency Services District No. 9, encouraged residents to harden homes — for example, cleaning gutters, trimming tree limbs away from roofs, and keeping dry vegetation cleared — and to request free ignition-zone evaluations from local fire departments. Jeff Kennedy, assistant chief with the Austin Fire Department, said embers are a primary cause of home ignitions and can travel long distances: "Embers can travel up to a mile and a half away from the fire source," he said, and recommended covering vents with 1/8-inch mesh and trimming trees several feet from structures.

Officials reiterated evacuation and alert procedures. Jim Reddick, director of the City of Austin’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management office, said evacuation orders come from responders with delegated authority from the mayor or the county judge and that routes and messages will depend on fire location, wind and other conditions. "The evacuation order would be coming from the responders who have that delegated authority from the mayor or the county judge," Reddick said. He and other officials asked residents to register for emergency alerts at WarnCentralTexas.org and to know multiple ways out of homes and neighborhoods.

On coordination and resource concerns, Judge Brown and Mayor Watson said local governments rely on state and federal partners. When asked about recent federal restructuring and potential impacts to FEMA support, Judge Brown said he has confidence in the relationship with the Texas Department of Emergency Management and noted dependence on FEMA funding for disaster response and reimbursement. Mayor Watson said the county and city maintain a strong state relationship but expressed concern about potential federal funding or staffing shortfalls.

Officials also pointed to recent regional incidents to explain urgency. Watson mentioned a fire in Gillespie County that burned more than 10,000 acres and, together with the 2011–2012 regional fire period, said those events drive ongoing training and preparedness efforts. Carrie Howell, Travis County fire marshal, described the seasonal outlook: "It looks like right now that we’re looking for a hot dry summer," and added that drought conditions are likely to persist.

The officials urged community actions that include creating and maintaining defensible space around homes, trimming tree branches well away from roofs (officials gave guidance ranging from about 8 to 10 feet), avoiding outdoor burning or activities that create sparks during red-flag conditions, and signing up for local alerts. They also asked neighbors to check on each other and identify residents who may need help evacuating.

No formal votes or ordinance changes were taken at the event; the gathering served as a public-information and preparedness briefing. Officials said they will continue coordination between the Austin Fire Department, Travis County emergency services districts and other partners to refine evacuation planning and resource staging.

Looking ahead, organizers said they will publish evacuation plans and continue outreach through community presentations and ignition-zone evaluations; residents were directed to WarnCentralTexas.org for official alerts and additional guidance.