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Fire Department reports wildfire work: 24 local CWPPs implemented, 197 home assessments and 2,000+ acres of prescribed burns assisted
Summary
Austin Fire's wildfire battalion updated the commission on community wildfire protection planning (CWPP), home assessments, prescribed burns and training; the department reported 24 completed local CWPPs, 197 structure ignition assessments in the past six months and participation in 23 prescribed burns covering more than 2,000 acres.
Division Chief Carrie Stewart gave the Public Safety Commission the biannual wildfire‑preparedness update, summarizing community plans, outreach, fuel‑mitigation work and training.
Stewart said Austin has completed 24 local Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) and has 22 CWPPs started but not completed. She said of the area the city classifies as high risk for wildfire, about 51 percent is covered by a local CWPP and 49 percent remain opportunities for local planning.
The department reported a substantial increase in requests for structure‑level home assessments (also called structure ignition zone evaluations or SIZEs): 197 home assessments had been completed in the past six months and staff had received more than 500 requests since January after recent regional fires, Stewart said. "That's a free service that we offer from the wildfire division to come out to your home, do a walk around with the homeowner or the structure owner, give them implementable items that they can do to harden their home or their structure against wildfire," Stewart said.
On fuel‑mitigation work, Stewart said the department participated in 23 prescribed burns covering more than 2,000 acres with partner land managers; those burns serve land‑management objectives and create training opportunities for the wildfire battalion. The department also reported 40 hours received and nearly 6,000 training hours provided to firefighters in courses such as prescribed‑fire practitioner and firing operations and engine operator training. Stewart said the wildfire battalion has been expanded to eight stations and 10 frontline apparatus with brush trucks at each station.
Commissioners asked about whether home assessments are being used to grow Firewise communities and whether outreach is reaching underrepresented areas of the city. Stewart said staff are working with community partners (including GAVA, Austin Public Health and HSEM) to expand outreach beyond areas with existing HOAs or neighborhood organizations and are sending monthly reports to council members showing requests by council district to spur local outreach.
Ending: Stewart invited commissioners to refer community partners to the wildfire division and said the department will continue outreach and coordinate with council offices to increase assessments and local CWPP completion in areas now identified as opportunities.
