South Austin wildfire contained
A quick-moving fire could have been much worse had first responders not been prepared. Thankfully, crews responded quickly because this property backs right up to an entire subdivision.
AUSTIN, Texas – A quick-moving fire could have been much worse had first responders not been prepared.Â
More than 20 acres burned in fewer than two hours in South Austin on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
Thankfully, crews responded quickly because this property backs right up to an entire subdivision.
​Fire danger in Central Texas
The backstory:
“We have a red flag warning day today,” said Andre Delareza, Assistant Chief at the Austin Fire Department. “We have high winds, very low humidity.”
With these conditions in place, the elements created the perfect environment to fuel a fire.
“The fire was headed towards some of the houses that were in this area there and then shifted over there,” said Delareza.
Dispatch received calls from neighbors reporting smoke at Lostwood Circle and Bear Springs Trail. Once they got there, firefighters soon realized it was larger than expected.
“We upgraded it to a brush fire, and it ended up being a full brush fire with a structural protection group and an engine strike team,” said Delareza.
In response to the upgraded threat, several units arrived and spent hours monitoring the area in case the fire picked up again.
“STAR Flight was able to come out and assist us there,” said Delareza. “They were rigged and prepared to get some water sources and drop air buckets if we ended up needing them.”
Investigators have not released the cause. Fortunately, crews were prepared. Only one home was evacuated, and no one was injured.
“We had one structure that’s inside the area that was downwind of the fire. That was a house that had one resident in there with their dog,” said Delareza. “We contacted them, we got them out of there.”
Firefighters urge everyone to stay alert and cautious; serious risks remain.
“Please, especially on these days, you have to control ignition,” said Delareza. “Be careful, check your chains if you’re towing something, make sure they’re not sparking, be diligent about not discarding smoking materials and grass or anything, just be aware.”
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Katie Pratt