Austin and Travis County officials urge residents to prepare for wildfire season as vegetation increases after recent rains

At a joint press conference, Travis County officials and Austin Mayor Keurt Watson urged residents to prepare their homes for wildfire season, saying recent rains have increased vegetation that could raise fire risk later this spring and summer. Officials said Central Texas has already seen more than 19 fires that burned over 1,800 acres.

The session brought together the county judge, Mayor Keurt Watson, Austin emergency management staff and local fire leaders to outline concrete steps residents can take to reduce risk and to describe how city and county agencies will coordinate alerts and response. Mayor Keurt Watson said May is Wildfire Awareness Month and warned that development along the wildland-urban interface and climate-driven warmer, drier summers are increasing exposure for homes in and around Austin.

"The danger of wildfire in Central Texas is unique," the mayor said, tying higher temperatures, drought and wind to greater fire risk and emphasizing that embers and sparks — not the flaming front — often ignite homes.

Jim Brereg, director of emergency management for the city, pointed attendees to Austin’s online mitigation and emergency plan resources and urged residents to sign up for regional alert systems so they can receive timely evacuation and safety notifications.

Eric Carter, lead emergency coordinator, described specific home-hardening and defensible-space measures homeowners can take. He advised residents to create and maintain three zones around a house and said free, personalized home assessments are available through local fire departments. As Carter explained in Spanish at the event: "Hay 3 zonas críticas: la zona 1... 0 a 30 pies. La zona 2 de 30 a 100 pies y la zona 3... de 100 a 200 pies." (Eric Carter)

Fire officials reiterated practical, low-cost steps: keep the first 5 feet around a home clear of combustible material, trim branches at least 10 feet from structures, remove stacked firewood and yard debris at least 5 feet from the residence, and avoid grilling or welding near dry grass. The Austin division chief for wildland fires (Oscarwn) and Nick Parker, fire chief of ESD 2, both stressed using the current wet period to complete these tasks and to install simple measures such as gutter mesh to keep embers from lodging.

Officials reminded residents that fireworks are illegal inside Austin city limits and that anyone using fireworks in parts of Travis County should exercise extreme caution around the July 4 period. They urged residents to register for alerts at OneCentralTexas.org and to consult AustinTexas.gov for mitigation guidance.

The press conference closed with thanks to local firefighters and an explicit appeal for community participation: officials said that preventing wildfires requires both preparedness by residents and coordinated response by city and county emergency services. Officials invited questions from the media but did not take substantive questions before adjourning.