Texas wildfire threat has increased: officials

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas - A fire along RM620 near Mansfield Dam sent embers into a residential area early Monday morning. Two homes had some fire damage and several others were threatened. 

The two-alarm incident was caused by the illegal use of fireworks. 

Friday, Lake Travis Fire and Rescue Chief Robert Abbott said the person responsible has been located. He will be cited, but his identity has not been released.

"They realized that it did not go as they had planned and that adult supervision was very important at all hours of the night and that this could happen to any community," said Chief Abbott.

The fire was located across form Steiner Ranch. In 2011, a wildfire destroyed homes and caused a large evacuation of the subdivision. The conditions then are similar to the dry conditions now.

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"We're there. So if you look how we've trended, we've gone a period of time with no rain like we did in 2011. We went many days, weeks with 100 degree or higher like we did leading up to the 2011 fire. In addition, we have something that we didn't have back then. We have two large snowstorms or ice storms that created down and dead vegetation throughout the entire community," said Chief Abbott.

The increasing threat is why representatives from Travis County Emergency Services Districts called a joint news conference Friday. The risk for a large fire is not limited to the areas around Lake Travis. The threat includes the farm lands on the east side of the county around Manor and Pflugerville.

"We have flat kind of rolling prairie land. And those are like flashy fuels. And in the wildfire business, that is one of the greatest threats that firefighters can face because those fires, like you said, were extremely quickly and they can be unpredictable. And so, absolutely, there is a threat throughout Travis County, especially on the east side," said Pflugerville Fire Chief Nick Perkins.

There were many lessons to be learned from the outbreak in 2011. Since then, emergency service districts in Travis County have done a lot more training and purchased a lot more equipment. 

Thirteen active fire department ESDs are located in Travis County, and they cover 750 square miles around Austin, and protect more than 340,000 people. The current inventory of equipment includes:

• 36 engines
• 30 brush trucks
• 11 squads
• 8 water tenders
• 7 ladder trucks (Quints)
• 3 rescue units

Even with all that, property and business owners need to help.

"We ask you to stay vigilant, we ask you to be focused on what you're doing, and we ask you to deliver to us feedback of things you're seeing out in the field that we may not see," said Chief Abbott.

"Remember, anything you can do to reduce a spark or ember will reduce the threat of wildfire," said Chief Abbott.

Ignoring the warning that was given could certainly result in the next big fire. It also could result into higher insurance rates for everyone. 

Chief Abbott offered several fire safety tips:

WELDING: Hot work: The welding is part of construction. We ask those who are welding to ensure that you have created a safe environment for that welding activity. Wet down the area. You have the resources like a hose or extinguisher near you. Take precaution to reduce those welding or hot work type incidents.

EVACUATION PLAN: Have an evacuation plan. Sign up on WarnCentralTexas.org for alerts. https://warncentraltexas.org/. The information can come to your email or you can receive phone calls specific to your area that you sign up in. It is a free service.

Go BAG: A go back has important documents that you may need. A Device charger for cell phone or other electronic devices like laptops or I-pad type tablets. Bottled water. Nonperishable food items. Prescriptions. Personal hygiene items and some pet supplies. When you're preparing for an evacuation, ensure that you consider special needs that your family may have for young kids, older adults or anybody with any impairments that need special assistance during an evacuation.

DECKING EXTERIOR REPAIR: Consider alternative materials other than just wood. If you are going to use wood, ensure that you are using stains that are not highly flammable. There are products out on the market that can reduce the flammability or at least the spread of a fire should you get an ember on your deck.

BUFFER ZONES: One of the biggest things, and one of the quickest things, you can do is start cleaning up your properties. Clearing around your home and creating a defensible space is vitally important. Embers can fly on to your property from far away. You could have a fire down the street, or a mile from your house, and embers can find their way to your house and into your gutters, if they're not maintained well and cleaned out. Embers can also cause problems along property lines where the vegetation may be thicker than it is near your house. Defensible spaces are the key to properly preparing your house for the threat of wildfire.

ACCESS POINTS: Ceiling openings and gaps in vents need to be closed to prevent embers from entering the home. Rooflines may have holes, or on the side made by animals if you back up against vegetation habitat behind your home.

FLAMMABLE OBJECTS: Maintain a fire free zone for flammable objects like firewood, propane tanks and even small two and a half gallon gas cans. Do not store those items by your deck or against your house. Placing them away for structures, or in another void space on the exterior property, can go a long way in reducing your threats.

GRILLS: If you have a barbecue, or you're grilling, ensure that the coals are contained. If you use coals make sure you do not dispose of those coals until they're properly extinguished and cool. Place coals in something like a metal trash can or something in the corner of your yard.

TOW CHAINS: Ensure there are no dragging chains on trailers. We have a lot of activity with transit, with vacationing folks that are maybe pulling a RV for the first time during a rented RV for a vacation, and they're not used to pulling it. And they forget that the chains are dragging on the ground.

CIGARETTES & CONTROLLED BURNS: Do not throw cigarette butts out of a car window. Now is not the time to conduct controlled burns because we are in a burn ban now.