Will the Wildfires become a threat to Austin? (Bastrop, Howe: home, to live in)

[kbchitown]

Remember the Oak Hill area...so yes, it's possible.

[tibbar]

I have been wondering just how safe I am with a greenbelt full of browning trees and an open field beyond the trees right behind my house. To make it worse, I am on the south side of all this brown dried up grass and trees and the field and greenbelt are beside a very busy access road to Mo Pac. I'm also kinda wishing I hadn't let my backyard grass dry up.

[10scoachrick]

The wind direction is quite interesting. I can't think of an entire week + when the winds have been steadily from the north/northeast(not in the three years we've been here). These fires would have taken a new direction(literally) if we had the 'normal' prevailing winds from the Gulf. In theory, that wind would have been less dry, but I'm not sure how much difference that would make in our tinderbox conditions.

These northerly winds are expected to continue through the weekend.(according to the weatherguessers)

[TX75007]

Originally Posted by Raskolnikov

Just wondering if anyone thinks these wildfires could ever make it all the way to Austin.

Yep. The fuel loads in west Austin are very high. The cedars are overgrown and cover just about every part of town. The whole place is just waiting for high winds and a spark.

Sooner or later, unless the City of Austin mandates brush control, this will occur, but on a much larger scale.

Oakland Firestorm of 1991 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[CptnRn]

I just heard from a friend that the fire department ticketed a man yesterday who was burning trash outdoors in the Cuernavaca Drive area of west Austin. What was he thinking? Obvioiusly he wasn't.

[austinnerd]

I think it's safe to say "yes" given the recent fire in NW Austin. All it takes is one spark from a construction site, one carelessly tossed cig., one arsonist, etc. One of the things that makes Austin great, all the trees/"greenery" can become a problem given the right conditions (sorta like those pretty creeks that turn into raging rivers during a flood).

Considering we're not going to get any rain anytime soon, if I lived within a few blocks of a greenbelt, park with lots of natural growth, empty uncleared lots, etc, I'd at least start formulating a plan, just in case. Looks like AFD (and other municipal/volunteer FD's) are going to be very busy for a while.

[Suz54]

Soo what do you guys think about the campus area?? Specifically West Campus? When I look from my balcony to the west it seems like it's only a few blocks before everything turns into forest and hills (I guess it's probably a little more but it *looks* close). Could it get so close as to come to the campus area?? Specifically from the fires out to the west like spicewood or steiner ranch? Way way out there to the west we could see tiny specks of flame and lots of smoke yesterday. I know it would have to get through a lot of other areas first... but the whole idea is pretty terrifying, fires move fast...

[austinnerd]

Originally Posted by Suz54

Soo what do you guys think about the campus area?? Specifically West Campus? When I look from my balcony to the west it seems like it's only a few blocks before everything turns into forest and hills (I guess it's probably a little more but it *looks* close). Could it get so close as to come to the campus area?? Specifically from the fires out to the west like spicewood or steiner ranch? Way way out there to the west we could see tiny specks of flame and lots of smoke yesterday. I know it would have to get through a lot of other areas first... but the whole idea is pretty terrifying, fires move fast...

Let's just say that if the Steiner or Spicewood fires threaten campus, then we as a city could have a pretty monumental catastrophe on our hands I would think that your biggest concern would be a local fire starting near you (construction, cigarette, arson, etc) and not any of the outlying fires.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by Suz54

Soo what do you guys think about the campus area?? Specifically West Campus? When I look from my balcony to the west it seems like it's only a few blocks before everything turns into forest and hills (I guess it's probably a little more but it *looks* close). Could it get so close as to come to the campus area?? Specifically from the fires out to the west like spicewood or steiner ranch? Way way out there to the west we could see tiny specks of flame and lots of smoke yesterday. I know it would have to get through a lot of other areas first... but the whole idea is pretty terrifying, fires move fast...

It is actually easier to fight fires in an urban setting. There are lots of fire hydrants around as well as streets to access the area. Both of those are lacking in suburban and hill country areas where houses are surrounded by dried green belts full of brush and grass and no fire roads.

[eepstein]

No fires will affect Austin because Austin is a perfect city filled with perfect people. It's all smiles and longhorns around these parts. No other city has ever mattered, and no other city ever will matter. Let the fires continue! Trust me, the city of Austin isn't concerned if it's not effecting the rich people within it's delicate central core!

Originally Posted by Raskolnikov

Just wondering if anyone thinks these wildfires could ever make it all the way to Austin. The Bastrop fires seem to be barely contained, and several othes (Leander, Spicewood, etc.) seem to be either zero percent contained or not much better. But more disturbingly, just looking around from the views on Highway 360/ Capitol of Texas, it feels like we're in a 'burning ring of fire.' Tall pillars of smoke everywhere.

Does anyone think the wildfires could encroach upon Austin? Or would federal forces of some sort be deployed if the fires raged that far out of control.