Fire Marshal

Ready, Set, Go!

It's not a question of if, but when the next major wildland fire will occur. Through advance planning, understanding and preparation, we can all be partners in the wildland fire solution. We hope you find these tips helpful in creating heightened awareness and a more fire-safe environment for you, your family and firefighters. Download the Ready, Set, Go! booklet.

The Ready, Set, Go! booklet will teach you how to protect property from wildland fires and what steps you can take to insure safety if an evacuation is ordered.

During 2011, Travis County suffered through one of the worst droughts and heat waves on record.  The record heat and lack of rain caused vegetation to die and dry out and also killed many trees.  This particular weather pattern set the stage for a very dangerous fire season.  

On September 4, 2011, a tropical depression made landfall in Louisiana leaving Travis County on the dry side of the storm but subject to the high winds associated with the storm.  The result was six major fire starts that consumed close to 7,000 acres and destroyed 57 homes. 

Our neighbors to the south were also affected. Bastrop County had a huge fire that burned more than 34,000 acres and destroyed more than 1,500 homes.  September 4, 2011, went down on record as the worst fire day in recent history for Central Texas.

Travis County, along with other stakeholders, formed the Wild Land Taskforce to look at steps to take to avoid another scenario like September 4, 2011.  One of the first tasks is to promote public education material that homeowners can use to protect themselves and their property.  The Ready, Set, Go! document was created by the Wild Land Taskforce to provide individuals with ways to protect property and steps to take to insure safety if an evacuation is ordered.

While this is a very important step, the Wild Land Task Force is looking at other ways to provide information for residents of Travis County on dealing with wild fires, such as developing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan and applying for grants to deal with fuel mitigation efforts.

Last Modified: Friday, March 16, 2012 3:04 PM