Austin, Travis County Wildfire Risk Elevated

The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning which means the Austin and Travis County area is at an elevated risk for wildfire.

Austin Fire Department’s Wildfire Division and the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management have begun the Ready, Set, Go! messaging plan to notify community members a wildfire threat is possible in the Austin and Travis County area. Residents received an email and text message through Warn Central Texas alerting them to be in a “Ready” stage for wildfire and what steps can be made to prepare their homes accordingly.

Ready, Set, Go! is a national public education program to prepare community members for wildfire. AFD in partnership with Austin’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, has designed communications about wildfire incidents in the area to reflect Ready, Set, Go! initiatives and give residents something easy to remember when receiving these messages during a crisis.

Warn Central Texas is a regional notification system used to alert the community about various disasters and hazards in the area. Be among the first to receive critical community messages via text, email, and phone by registering at WarnCentralTexas.org.

“During a wildfire, it is imperative to follow instructions from emergency personnel with knowledge of the situation and expertise,” said Wildfire Division Chief Carrie Stewart. “We encourage all Austinites to sign up for wildfire messages at WarnCentralTexas.org. The emails, texts, and phone calls from this system let our community know when they need to follow Ready, Set, and Go! guidance due to a wildfire event in their area.”

“We are seeing wildfires in the surrounding areas, and weather conditions will keep us at a higher risk,” Stewart said. “Staying informed through Warn Central Texas messages, in addition to following the news and directions from local authorities and first responders can save lives.”

Learn additional steps to make your home ready for wildfire, how to set yourself up for success in case of a fire, and what to do when it’s time to go by downloading the Ready, Set, Go! Personal Wildland Fire Action Guide today. It also is available in Spanish.

Visit Austin Wildfire’s website for more information and its Wildfire Hub to learn your neighborhood’s risk level, see maps of active fire situations, and other features.

Visit readycentraltexas.org to prepare your go-bag and learn where you can pick up preparedness kit supplies.

Visit WarnCentralTexas.org to register for the emergency notification system. Registering allows local officials to alert you by phone, email, and text during times of disasters or public safety events. Be sure to select wildfire as one of the disasters you wish to be notified of.

Familiarize yourself further with the stages of Ready, Set, Go! below.

What  Ready, Set, Go! means for you

READY
Familiarize yourself and your loved ones with what to do by creating your Personal Wildland Fire Action Guide to follow before and during an emergency. This guide provides tips for readying your home for wildfire like implementing a defensible space and utilizing fire-resistant landscaping. It also contains information on hardening your home with precautions for your balcony, deck, roof, vents, fencing, and more. The program, along with the guide encourages, community members to be Ready by taking personal responsibility and action, preparing well before the threat of a wildland fire. Ready, Set, Go! provides tips on assembling emergency supplies, planning escape routes, and identifying safety zones.

SET
Ready, Set, Go! demonstrates how to be Set: maintaining situational awareness by staying up to date on the latest news and information about a fire and ensuring you can receive local emergency notifications. Warn Central Texas can send a message to notify affected individuals there is the potential threat to life and/or property from a wildfire in their neighborhood. Anyone who requires additional time to evacuate (including those with pets and livestock) should leave immediately. When registered users receive a “Set” notice from AFD's Wildfire Division through Warn Central Texas, it is time to put evacuation plans into motion, including loading emergency preparedness kits into vehicles to support leaving at a moment’s notice should the wildfire continue to spread and trigger an evacuation.

GO
The program also encourages those in threatened areas to Go and act early, following their Personal Wildland Fire Action Plan. Promoting cooperation and early action not only supports the safety of community members but allows first responders to deploy their resources where most needed. A “Go” message can be sent via Warn Central Texas to notify affected individuals their home is under immediate threat from a wildfire, and public safety personnel have issued an evacuation order.