[Austin Wildfire Disaster Declarations & Preparedness News Conference on October 20, 2025.]
[00:00:10]
I'M THE TRAVIS COUNTY JUDGE, AS I THINK WE ALL KNOW.
UH, SEPTEMBER, THIS SEPTEMBER, 2025 WAS THE FIFTH DRIEST ON RECORD.
SO WE'RE IN REALLY DRY TIMES RIGHT NOW.
WE GOT SOME GOOD RAINS OVER THE SUMMER, BUT THAT HAS PRETTY MUCH STOPPED FOR NOW.
SO WE'RE SEEING A VERY HIGH INCREASED RISK FOR WILDFIRES, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
ON FRIDAY, I SIGNED A DISASTER DECLARATION FOR TRAVIS COUNTY AS A PRECAUTION DUE TO THE HEIGHTENED WILDFIRE RISKS THAT WE'RE ALL SEEING.
IT WILL ENABLE TRAVIS COUNTY TO PROACTIVELY ACCESS RESOURCES, STREAMLINE EMERGENCY COORDINATION, AND REINFORCE WILDFIRE PREVENTION EFFORTS.
UH, OVER THIS WEEKEND, WE DID SEE AT LEAST TWO FIRES, TWO BRUSH FIRES.
THE BIGGER OF THE TWO WAS ON SATURDAY, A BRUSH, FIRE, AND PILOT KNOB, WHICH WAS SWIFTLY CONTAINED BY ALL THESE FOLKS YOU SEE BEHIND US AND OTHERS.
SO WE HAD TRAVIS COUNTY EMERGENCY, ESD, DISTRICT 11 ESD 11, TRAVIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, TEXAS FOREST SERVICE, MUSTANG RIDGE POLICE AND FIRE, TRAVIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND TDE.
SO IT WAS A GREAT TEAM EFFORT AND THEY PUT IT OUT PRETTY QUICKLY.
I WAS GETTING UPDATES FROM CHIEF BAILEY IN ESD 11.
UH, THEY ALSO PUT THAT OUT PRETTY QUICKLY, BUT THE RISK IS REAL.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT FIRES LIKE THESE CAN BE CAUSED BY CONSTRUCTION WORKERS.
JUST A SPARK FLIES OFF INTO A FIELD OF GRASS AND IT CATCHES FIRE.
UM, I THINK ONE OF THE FIRES THAT I HEARD ABOUT MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY PEOPLE MOWING A FIELD.
SO, UH, THOSE ARE NOT THINGS REALLY WE CAN STOP DOING, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE EXTRA CAREFUL IF YOU'RE MOWING, MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT HITTING SPARKS.
MAKE SURE THE EXHAUST ISN'T TOUCHING GRASS AND SETTING OFF A FIRE.
UM, BUT I REALLY WANNA THANK OUR FIRST RESPONDERS FOR THE QUICK ACTION OVER THE WEEKEND.
SO WE, TRAVIS COUNTY'S BEEN UNDER A STRICT BURN BAND SINCE LATE SEPTEMBER, AND I'LL JUST REVIEW WHAT THAT MEANS.
SO NO BRUSH TRASH OR DEBRIS BURNING.
ALWAYS DISPOSE OF CIGARETTES PROPERLY.
DON'T DRAG TRAILER CHAINS THAT COULD SPARK.
DON'T MOW WHEN THAT COULD SPARK, OR, OR IF IT DOES, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SOME WAY TO PUT IT OUT REAL QUICK.
IT'S ALSO FOOTBALL SEASON, OTHER ATHLETICS.
SO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE CAREFUL.
IF YOU'RE GRILLING, THAT'S ANOTHER GOOD WAY TO START FIRE.
SO BE EXTRA CAREFUL IF YOU'RE DOING THAT.
MAKE SURE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO DO IT WHEREVER IT IS THAT YOU ARE.
UM, SO MAKE SURE YOU'RE FOLLOWING OUR LOCAL BURN BANDS.
IF WE DO HAVE A BIG FIRE IN TRAVIS COUNTY, YOU WANNA BE PREPARED.
SO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE ESSENTIALS IN YOUR HOUSE, LIKE FLASHLIGHTS, BOTTLED WATER, NON-PERISHABLE FOOD, MEDICATIONS, OTHER IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS.
MAKE SURE YOUR PETS HAVE, HAVE FOOD TOO.
MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S ALREADY, JUST IN CASE, UH, YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING IN RELATION TO A FIRE.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY PLAN FOR YOUR FAMILY WHERE TO MEET UP, THINGS LIKE THAT.
MAKE SURE YOU KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH LOVED ONES IN A EMERGENCY OR DISASTER.
AND ARE YOU GONNA TALK ABOUT WARREN CENTRAL TEXAS OR YOU WANT, OKAY.
ALRIGHT, WE, WE'LL SAY IT BOTH.
THAT'S WHERE YOU NEED TO GO TO RIGHT NOW TO SIGN UP TO GET ALERTS FOR EMERGENCY WEATHER ISSUES, OTHER EMERGENCIES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
IF YOU REALLY WANNA KNOW ABOUT OUR BURN BANDS AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU CAN ALSO TEXT TC BURN BAND TO 8 8 8 7 7 7 FOR THE, THE REAL BURN BAN AFICIONADOS OUT THERE.
BUT THE MAIN THING IS WARREN CENTRAL TEXAS.
MAKE SURE YOU'RE SIGNED UP FOR THAT.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA SAY IN SPANISH REAL QUICK ABOUT THE BURN BAN AND THEN I'LL PASS IT OVER TO MY FRIEND, THE MAYOR.
UM, ALRIGHT, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY, AND I'LL PASS IT OVER TO MAYOR WATSON.
AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE.
UH, I'M MAYOR KIRK WATSON, MAYOR OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL BEING HERE TODAY ATTENDING THIS AND PAYING ATTENTION TO ALL THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS WE SHARE VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
IT'S ACTUALLY VITALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND ALL THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
WE, WE ALWAYS TALK, IT FEELS LIKE WE TALK THROUGHOUT THE YEAR ABOUT THE DANGER OF WILDFIRE HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE SADLY, IT'S A YEAR ROUND THREAT, A DANGEROUS, POTENTIALLY DEVASTATING THREAT THAT IS ALWAYS PRESENT.
CLIMATE CHANGE CONTINUES TO IMPACT THE, THE NUMBER AND SEVERITY OF DISASTERS IN OUR WORLD.
WE LIVE IN A PLACE THAT WE CALL FLASH
[00:05:01]
FLOOD ALLEY.SO FLOODING IS ANOTHER HAZARD THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR.
NOW IS THE TIME FOR ALL OF US TO UNDERSTAND OUR RISK IN CENTRAL TEXAS AND TO PREPARE FOR THEM.
THE CITY IS MAKING EFFORTS TO PREPARE AND WE NEED OUR COMMUNITY TO DO SOME WORK AS WELL.
THE GOVERNOR AMENDED AND RENEWED THE STATE'S WILDFIRE DE DISASTER DECLARATION.
THAT'S BECAUSE WE ARE IN, IN PARTICULARLY PERILOUS CONDITIONS, AND IT'S CONTINUED TO STRETCH INTO A VERY DRY SUMMER.
AS YOU JUST HEARD, THE JUDGE HAS ALSO DONE THAT.
I HAVE DONE A DISASTER DECLARATION FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AUSTIN RANKS FIFTH IN THE NATION, FIFTH IN THE NATION, IN THE NUMBER OF HOMES AT RISK OF WILDFIRE.
AND THAT MEANS IT'S ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR THOSE OF US LIVING HERE IN AUSTIN AND THE SURROUNDING AREA TO BE AWARE AND PREPARED.
IF YOU LIVE HERE, YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO TO PREVENT WILDFIRES.
UH, THE JUDGE HAS JUST TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT WILDFIRES FROM STARTING IN THE FIRST PLACE.
BUT YOU ALSO NEED TO KNOW HOW TO PROTECT YOUR HOME AND PROPERTY.
IF A FIRE SHOULD HAPPEN, IF IT SHOULD THREATEN YOUR AREA, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT FLAMES AREN'T THE MAIN WAY THE FIRE SPREADS DURING A WILDFIRE.
EMBERS CAN TRAVEL MORE THAN A MILE FROM THEIR SOURCE AND THEY ARE RESPONSIVE.
THEY CAN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAJORITY OF HOME IGNITIONS.
SO WHETHER YOU LIVE IN THE COUNTY OR YOU LIVE DOWNTOWN OR ANYWHERE IN BETWEEN, WILDFIRE COULD AFFECT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
I WILL SAY THAT THE CITY NEVER STOPS PLANNING AND PREPARING FOR WILDFIRES AND OTHER HAZARDS.
CITY PUBLIC SAFETY TEAMS ARE CURRENTLY, AND WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO HAVING A COMPLETED UPDATE OF WILDFIRE EVACUATION PLANS AND KICKING OFF MEETINGS WITH WILDFIRE HIGH RISK NEIGHBORHOODS AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
HIGH RISK NEIGHBORHOODS INTERESTED IN MEETING WITH PUBLIC SAFETY CAN REQUEST A PRESENTATION@READYCENTRALTEXAS.ORG.
I WANNA SAY THAT AGAIN BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
I'M HOPEFUL THAT EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IN AUSTIN, EVERY HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION IN AUSTIN WILL ENGAGE WITH THE CITY SO THAT IT CAN PROVIDE INFORMATION TO THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS AND IN THOSE HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION AREAS ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN DO, NOT JUST TO PREVENT, ALTHOUGH IMPORTANTLY, TO PREVENT, BUT HOW THEY CAN PROTECT THEIR HOMES AND THEIR LOVED ONES FROM WILDFIRES.
AGAIN, PLEASE REQUEST TO MEET WITH OR HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM OUR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS@READYCENTRALTEXAS.ORG.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO PUBLICLY THANK COUNCIL MEMBERS UCHIN AND LANE WHO HAVE BEEN CHAMPIONS IN SOME OF OUR ONGOING INITIATIVES AROUND WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS AND RAISING COMMUNITY AWARENESS OF THE RISKS THAT OPPOSES.
AND WE ARE JOINED TODAY BY OUR CITY MANAGER, TC BROADNAX AND THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT CHIEF WHO ARE WORKING ON THIS ALL THE TIME.
AND I, I WANT TO SAY A SPECIAL THANKS TO BOTH OF THEM AS PART OF OUR ONGOING EFFORTS.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RECENTLY REDESIGNED THE CITY'S WILDFIRE HUB TO PROVIDE A MORE USER-FRIENDLY AND STREAMLINED EXPERIENCE FOR WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS.
THE HUB CAN BE FOUND AT A TX WILDFIRE HUB.COM, ATX WILDFIRE HUB.COM.
THROUGH THAT HUB, YOU CAN ALSO FIND UPDATED INFORMATION ABOUT ANY ACTIVE WILDFIRES OR WILDFIRE RELATED EVENTS.
AND BEFORE I TURN THE MICROPHONE OVER, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE SOMETHING.
PLEASE MAKE SURE THE JUDGE SAID IT.
HE EVEN ASKED ME ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE SAY IT EVERY CHANCE WE GET AND WE HOPE THAT THE MEDIA WILL DO THE SAME THING AND WE HOPE PEOPLE WILL SIGN UP.
PLEASE MAKE SURE EVERYONE YOU KNOW SIGNS UP TO RECEIVE EMERGENCY MESSAGES ABOUT WILDFIRE WITH SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS TO FOLLOW IN THOSE CASES BY GOING TO WARN W ARN WARN CENTRAL TEXAS.ORG.
WE CAN'T PROTECT TEXAS FROM WILDFIRE WITHOUT THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATING.
[00:10:01]
BE PREPARED, BE AWARE AND HELP SPREAD THE WORD.NOW I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO CHIEF PERKINS.
I'M FIRE CHIEF AT TRAVIS COUNTY, ESD NUMBER TWO, UH, BETTER KNOWN AS THE PFLUGERVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, SO RIGHT NOW, UH, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY IN HIGH FIRE, UH, RISK CONDITIONS.
SO IN NORTHEASTERN TRAVIS COUNTY ARE THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY.
ACCORDING TO THE N-F-D-R-S, WE'RE ACTUALLY IN VERY HIGH, UM, FIRE RISK.
AND SO WE WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT THE MAYOR AND THE JUDGE DISCUSSED ALREADY ABOUT DOING OUR PART TO PREVENT FIRES.
UM, SO THIS MEANS, UH, BEING CAREFUL WHILE WE'RE OUTDOORS COOKING, UH, THERE IS A BURN BAN IN PLACE.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT PARKING ON DRY GRASS, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE SECURING TOW CHAINS.
AND THEN OF COURSE, NEVER THROW A CIGARETTE BUTT OUT THE WINDOW.
WE ALSO WANT TO, IN, UH, STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF PREPAREDNESS.
AND SO A LOT OF THE INFORMATION, A LOT OF THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, ARE NOT MEANT TO SCARE YOU.
AND SO THERE ARE A LOT OF REALLY, REALLY POWERFUL THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR HOME TO REDUCE YOUR RISK OF WILDFIRE.
UM, IN TERMS OF YOUR HOME CATCHING ON FIRE.
SO JUST LIKE, UH, WAS DISCUSSED EARLIER, UH, EMBERS ARE WHAT CAUSES THE MAJORITY OF THESE FIRES, UH, ON A STRUCTURE.
AND SO TAKING SOME SIMPLE STEPS LIKE PUTTING METAL MESH ON YOUR, YOUR EVENTS, YOUR, UM, YOUR GUTTERS, UH, CLEARING A FIVE FOOT ZONE AROUND YOUR HOME FREE OF FLAMMABLE DEBRIS, UH, THAT INCLUDES THAT FENCE LINE THAT CONNECTS TO YOUR HOUSE, UM, ALONG WITH GENERAL CLEANUP AND PREPARATION AROUND YOUR ENTIRE HOME CAN MAKE MASSIVE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO YOUR SAFETY AND THAT OF YOUR NEIGHBORS.
SO WE'RE COMING TOGETHER, ASKING YOU TO DO YOUR PART.
COME TOGETHER, HELP US, AND LET'S TAKE THIS ON AS A COMMUNITY.
LASTLY, I WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT ALL OF THE FIREFIGHTING RESOURCES IN TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, ARE COORDINATING DAILY.
WE'RE COMMUNICATING, WE HAVE A RESPONSE PLAN TO WORK TOGETHER ON THESE FIRES.
THAT INCLUDES BRINGING IN ALL OF THE RESOURCES TO BEAR THAT INCLUDE AIRCRAFT FROM STAR FLIGHT, OUR PARTNERS AT THE TEXAS FOREST SERVICE, AND AMONGST THE TRAVIS COUNTY E ESDS.
WE HAVE A FLEET OF FIVE DOZERS THAT WE CAN, UH, RESPOND TO, UH, WITHIN MINUTES WITHIN TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER, WE'RE PREPARED, WE'RE READY, AND WE'RE ASKING THE COMMUNITY TO DO THE SAME.
WELL, GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THIS VARIOUS SERIOUS AND AND MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE HERE TODAY.
THE LOCAL AND STATE DECLARATION EMPHASIZED HOW SERIOUS AND WIDESPREAD THE WILDFIRE THREATS IS RIGHT NOW IN TRAVIS COUNTY AS WELL AS THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
GRASSES AND OTHER VEGETATION HAS REACHED CRITICAL LEVELS OF DRYNESS, MEANING THAT FIRES CAN SPARK EASILY AND WILL SPREAD VERY QUICKLY.
EMBERS AS TO MAYOR SAID EARLIER, CAN TRAVEL UP TO A MILE, POTENTIALLY AFFECTING PROPERTIES WELL AWAY FROM THE FLAMES, WHICH PUT OUT WILL PUT OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY AT RISK.
SO UNDER THESE CONDITIONS, A STRONG DEFENSE IS VITAL.
THAT'S WHY YOU SEE ALL THE PARTNERS HERE TODAY.
AUSTIN FIRE IS DOING OUR PART.
WE ARE ONE OF THE LARGEST MUNICIPALITY FIRE DEPARTMENT TO PUT EVERY FIREFIGHTER THROUGH RESPONDING TO THE INTERFAITH TRAINING WITH TEACHER STRATEGIES TO BATTLE WILD LAND URBAN INTERFACE FIRES.
WE ALSO WORK WITH OTHER AGENCIES TO PROTECT OUR REGION, INCLUDING DEPLOYING TO VULNERABLE AREAS.
WE HAVE FIVE AUSTIN FIREFIGHTERS CURRENTLY ASSIGNED TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS AS PART OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TEXAS INTERSTATE FIRE MUTUAL AID SYSTEM AND TEXAS FOREST, UH, SERVICE.
THIS IS ONLY ONE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.
OUR COMMUNITY HAS THE POWER TO PREVENT AND MINIMIZE WILDFIRE.
THE AUSTIN FIRE DIVISION OFFER FREE, FREE, FREE STRUCTURAL INITIATIVE ZONE EVACUATION DURING WHICH ADVISE WILL COME OUT TO YOUR HOME AND WALK AROUND YOUR PROPERTY TO HELP YOU PREPARE FOR WILDFIRE RISK.
SO REQUEST THIS EVALUATION THROUGH AUSTIN 3 1 1 OR MAKE A REQUEST ONLINE AT THE CITY WIRE, UH, WILDFIRE HUB PREVENT FIRE BY PROPERTY DISPOSING OF SMOKING MATERIAL.
THAT MEANS THAT MEANS NOT THROWING CIGARETTES AND CIGAR OUT OF THE VEHICLES ONTO THE GROUND.
UH, AS I CLOSE AND BEFORE I CALL THE JUDGE, I JUST WANT TO ADD, UH, MR. MAYOR, HONORABLE JUDGE AND CITY MANAGER, IT'S, IT IS GREAT TO SEE YOU ALL OUT HERE, THE CITY LEADERSHIP, THE COUNTY LEADERSHIP, TAKING THE STAND WITH PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, ONE, ONE LAST THING, HECTOR, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG ON THIS, BUT I JUST WANNA EMPHASIZE.
SO THIS WEEKEND WE SAW TWO FIRES.
ONE POSSIBLY CAUSED BY CONSTRUCTION WORK GOING ON THROUGH OFF A SPARK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
ANOTHER CAUSED BY MOWING VERY COMMON
[00:15:01]
ACTIVITY.SO PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU'RE DOING THAT.
IT REALLY CAN HAVE CONSEQUENCES.
I THINK LAST WEEKEND, I BELIEVE THE FIRE, UH, SOMEONE WAS CITED BY THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT FOR VIOLATING THE BURN BAN.
LAST WEEKEND WE HAD A FIRE OF 300 ACRES, RIGHT? SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IT CAME INTO THE RGK RANCH, THE NEW PROPERTY THE COUNTY JUST BOUGHT TO TURN INTO A PARK.
SO LIKE, THESE ARE REAL CONSEQUENCES AND BEHAVIOR OF PEOPLE CAN REALLY AFFECT US AND REALLY CAUSE FIRES.
SO PLEASE TAKE THIS, THIS SERIOUSLY, BUT GO AHEAD,
UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY NECESSARY WE HAVE EXPERIENCED WILDFIRES? CAN YOU TALK ABOUT LIKE
WE WANT PEOPLE TO REALIZE THAT THEY HAVE THE POWER OF STARTING OR NOT STARTING FIRES BY THEIR BEHAVIOR.
THE OTHER PART IS IT HELPS US WITH CONTRACTING.
LIKE IF WE, LIKE IN THE, IN THE FLOODING FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD TO HIRE A LOT OF FOLKS TO REMOVE DEBRIS.
IT MAKES IT SO THAT THE COUNTY JUDGE OR THE MAYOR CAN DO THAT INDEPENDENTLY OF HAVING TO VOTE AND GO THROUGH THE NORMAL PROCESSES.
IT ALSO HELPS US COORDINATE WITH THE STATE.
UM, THE STATE HAS BEEN A GREAT PARTNER IN THESE DISASTERS.
T DM AND CHIEF KIDD, UH, HAVE BEEN GREAT IN BOTH PREPARING FOR AND RESPONDING TO.
AND IT GETS US KIND OF ALL ON THE SAME PAGE RIGHT HERE.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT IF WE'RE AT INCREASED RISK BECAUSE OF ALL THE WATER WE GOT, UH, IN THE RAIN IN JULY PRODUCING MORE THAT'S NOW DRIED OUT? YEAH, I THINK SO.
BUT I THINK THERE'S, SOMEONE ELSE CAN TALK A LOT MORE SMARTLY ABOUT THAT.
GARY, QUESTION? YOU WANNA DO IT? JUST THE GROWTH AND THE, OKAY.
UH, GARY HOWELL, TRAVIS COUNTY FIRE MARSHAL, LAST NAME'S HOWELL, H-O-W-E-L-L.
UH, THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE GROWTH AND YES, THAT, UH, I THINK YOU, UH, NAILED THAT.
THE, UH, THE RAIN THAT WE GOT EARLIER IN THE SUMMER, UH, WE HAD AN EXPLOSIVE GROWTH AND THEN THE RAIN, BASICALLY THE FAUCET WAS TURNED OFF AND THEN WE'RE STARTING TO SEE, UH, THE DRYING.
WE'RE AT A CRITICAL POINT NOW WITH THE, THE FUEL MOISTURE THAT THAT'S DRIED OUT NOW.
GOOD QUESTION RIGHT HERE, SPECTRUM.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE HOTSPOT AREAS THAT RIGHT NOW, TRAVIS COUNTY OR KIND OF, SO THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE HOTSPOTS HOT AREA IN, IN TRAVIS COUNTY, SOUTHEAST TRAVIS COUNTY IS, IS, UH, A, A REAL HOTSPOT WHERE WE SAW, UH, A COUPLE OF THE FIRES OVER THIS WEEKEND.
UH, IT, IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S REALLY DRY, BUT I MEAN, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT, IT REGIONALLY WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, A VERY CRITICAL, UM, UH, CRITICAL FUEL MOISTURES THROUGHOUT THE REGION.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS RIGHT HERE.
SO HOW COMMON IS THIS A FINE JOB HERE, CHIEF, IF YOU WANNA, SO, UH, I, YOU KNOW, IF YOU COULD LOOK HISTORICALLY, THIS IS KIND OF A NORMAL, WE, WE, WE HAVE BEEN PUTTING OUR BURN BANDS IN IN LATE SEPTEMBER, OR FIRST PART OF SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS.
SO THIS IS KIND OF A NORMAL, YOU KNOW, NORMAL, UH, TIME FOR IT TO GET DRY LIKE THIS.
ALL ALL I WANT TO ADD, ALL I WANT TO ADD TO THAT IS THAT THIS IS OUR NORMAL, WE HAVE DECLARED A DISASTER AND, AND I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THE JUDGE THAT A BIG PART OF DECLARING A DISASTER IS A RECOGNITION OF THE, THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN.
BUT AS I INDICATED IN MY INITIAL COMMENTS, THIS AREA IS AT RISK FOR WILDFIRE YEAR ROUND.
AND THAT'S WHY WE, WE ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO PLAN.
WE'RE IN A, IN MAYBE AN ADDITIONAL CIRCUMSTANCE BECAUSE WE'VE HAD, AS THE PREVIOUS QUESTIONER ASK, WE'VE HAD A SITUATION WHERE WE GREW A WHOLE LOT OF FUEL FOR FIRE AND THEN WE GET WENT REALLY DRY.
SO THAT INCREASES AND ENHANCES THE RISK.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WE'VE DONE THE DISASTER DECLARATION.
BUT I REALLY WANT EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND THIS IS OUR NORMAL.
AND SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS WE REALLY ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY SIGN UP FOR WARN CENTRAL TEXAS.ORG SO THAT YOU'LL KNOW WHEN WE KNOW SOMETHING.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, PUT TOGETHER PLANS FOR YOUR HOME, HOW YOU'RE GOING TO EVACUATE AS, AS WAS INDICATED, HOW YOU'RE GOING TO GET IN CONTACT WITH OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS, HOW YOU'RE GOING TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE, BUT ALSO LOOK AT HOW YOU'RE GOING TO PREVENT THIS AT YOUR HOME, DOING THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT.
AND AS I INDICATED, WE'RE READY TO HAVE PEOPLE COME OUT AND BE A, BE A BE TEACHERS AND HELP LEARN.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I ENCOURAGE EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND EVERY HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION TO REACH OUT TO THE CITY.
[00:20:01]
SET UP OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR, YOUR NEIGHBORS AND, AND THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN YOUR AREA TO LEARN ABOUT THESE THINGS.BECAUSE THIS NORMAL PUTS PEOPLE AT RISK.
QUESTION, UM, DOES THAT ALLOW THE STATE TO SEND MONEY
SO WHEN THE CITY OR THE COUNTY DECLARES A DISASTER, THAT HELPS US DO THINGS QUICKER.
LIKE WE CAN CONTRACT MORE QUICKLY, WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH NORMAL PROCUREMENT PROCESSES.
I'M ALLOWED TO HIRE, UH, DEBRIS COMPANY OR, UH, ADDITIONAL, I DON'T KNOW, TRUCKS OR SOMETHING CAN, CAN PAY FOR THEM WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE NORMAL APPROVAL PROCESSES.
SO IT MAKES OUR RESPONSE QUICKER.
UM, AT THIS WE TO GET ACTUALLY MONEY FROM FEMA, WE HAVE TO GET, I BELIEVE A STATE DECLARATION, WHICH WE ALREADY HAVE FROM THE GOVERNOR, PLUS THE PRESIDENT HAS TO DO IT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY THE REIMBURSEMENT PART THAT, UH, THAT WE GOT FOR THE FLOODS.
THE CENTRAL TEXAS FLOODS THAT, THAT'S HOW THAT WORKED.
I THINK, UH, THE GOVERNOR AND I DID DISASTER DECLARATIONS, I THINK AROUND THE, A SIMILAR TIMEFRAME AND THEN IT, IT WAITED A LITTLE BIT, BUT THEN THE, THE PRESIDENT EVENTUALLY DID ONE.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO APPLY FOR FEMA REIMBURSEMENTS IN THAT SITUATION.
UM, AND HEY, THE OTHER THING, JUST, YOU KNOW, ON SATURDAY IT WAS REALLY HOT AND HAD SOME HIGH FIRE RISK, BUT THEN SUNDAY IT GOT COOLER, SIGNIFICANTLY COOLER.
I THOUGHT THAT WOULD LOWER THE FIRE RISK MAYBE.
SO I TALKED TO THE FIRE FOLKS.
IT IT, THE HUMIDITY ACTUALLY WENT DOWN EVEN THOUGH IT WAS COOLER.
AND SO THE, THE FACT THAT THE HUMIDITY WENT DOWN AND THERE WERE MORE WINDS THAT PUT THE, A HIGHER FIRE RISK ON SUNDAY.
SO JUST HOPEFULLY IT WILL GET COOLER ONE OF THESE DAYS.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE FIRE RISK IS GOING DOWN UNTIL WE GET A LOT OF RAIN.
HE, HE LOOKED, HE LOOKED AT ME WHEN HE SAID HOPEFULLY, YEAH, LIKE MAYBE I WAS IN CHARGE OF THAT.
THANK YOU ALL Y'ALL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.