Understanding Your Wildfire Risk

Central Texas carries the greatest risk for wildfires outside of California. Preventing wildfires is everyone’s responsibility. Plan ahead for wildfires by creating a defensible space around your home, hardening your home to fire, and building a plan for when your home is threatened by wildfire. Learn how by visiting the Austin-Travis County Wildfire Coalition’s website at www.wildfirecoalition.org.

Ready, Set, Go! Program

The Ready, Set, Go! program aims to educate the public on the three stages of wildfire preparedness.

Ready:

• Create a defensible space around your home by removing brush, debris and flammable materials and cleaning your gutters.
• Harden your home to wildfires by utilizing fire resistant construction practices. This includes noncombustible materials for decks and patios, switching away from wooden fences wherever possible, enclose eaves around your home with ignition-resistant materials and properly screen your vents with metal mesh.
• Sign up for emergency alerts at WarnCentralTexas.org and accessible alerts in American Sign Language at https://atc.ahasalerts.com/register.aspx
• Build your go-kit or emergency kit. Consider planning for 3 days of food and water for each member of your household. Think of the 4 P’s: people, pets, papers, prescriptions.
• Don’t forget important documents like birth certificates and passports, and important medications are needed because you don’t know when you will be able to return to your home.

Set:

• Monitor conditions in your area in the event of a wildfire. Watch your local news. Follow emergency management and public safety departments on social media to stay up to date.
• Check the city’s alerts page at austintexas.gov/alerts for the latest updates on the situation.
• Dress in appropriate clothes in case you have to evacuate -- long sleeves and face coverings to protect from flames and smoke inhalation.
• Have your go-kit in an easy to grab location on your way out.
• Ensure all members of your household and pets are accounted for and prepared to go if the need arises.
• If you have a medical condition, mobility challenges or any other reason you believe would require you more time to evacuate DO NOT HESITATE to leave early. Seconds count in an evacuation. If you feel unsafe, leave.

Go!

• Get out of your home and neighborhood immediately. Account for all people and pets in your home, grab your go-kit and leave!
• Do not wait for direction from emergency personnel if there is possible threat to your home or evacuation route.
• Follow instructions from emergency personnel on-site.
• Check in at the temporary assembly point emergency personnel direct you to.

Stay Aware of Current Wildfires

It is good to stay informed or aware of any wildfires in your area. Thanks to mapping tools and technology available there are multiple interactive maps that may be useful to know where current wildfires or prescribed burns are happening with details on size and percentage of containment. You can find one such map on the Austin Fire Department Wildfire Division's Wildfire Hub at www.wildfire-austin.hub.arcgis.com. The map focuses on Central Texas but can get details on any current wildfire in the nation.