Travis County burn ban
The Fire Marshal's office issues and lifts outdoor burning restrictions as conditions change. Current order
Travis County, Texas
Wildfire moves fast.
Prepare before it happens.
The Austin Area Firewise Alliance is a volunteer organization helping Travis County neighborhoods get ready for wildfire — inside the City of Austin and out in the county, where the hills, cedar, and one-way-out streets that make this place worth living in also make it burn.
How do I…?
The short paths. Links marked ↗ go to the agency that actually runs that service — the Alliance points you there, it does not stand in for them.
Five things that matter most
Most homes lost to wildfire are not overrun by a wall of flame. They are lit by embers that travel ahead of the fire, land in a gutter or against a fence, and smolder. Everything below targets embers.
- Clear the first five feet. No mulch, firewood, dead plants, or stored items against the house. This strip does more than any other single thing you can do.
- Clean gutters, roof, and under decks. Dry leaves and cedar litter are exactly what a landing ember needs.
- Screen every vent. Embers get inside through attic and crawlspace vents. Metal mesh of 1/8 inch or finer, not fiberglass.
- Trim branches back from the roof. Ten feet of clearance, and limb up trees so fire on the ground cannot climb into the canopy.
- Know your way out before you need it. Two routes, a meeting point, and a decision to leave early — especially on a street with one exit.
Watching conditions
Local, state, and national feeds. These are live sources, not Alliance reports.
Texas A&M Forest Service
Statewide incident activity, fire danger, and the Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal for property-level risk. Forest Service · Risk portal
InciWeb
The interagency incident information system — large-fire updates, perimeters, and closures. InciWeb
Warn Central Texas
The regional notification system. You must register a phone number to receive calls and texts — it does not find you automatically. Register
What the Alliance does
Wildfire response belongs to the fire departments. Getting a neighborhood ready before that day is work residents have to do themselves — and that is where the Alliance works.
Helps neighborhoods organize
Walking a new group through the Firewise USA steps: the risk assessment, the action plan, the annual event, the renewal.
Connects neighbors to agencies
Travis County is served by the Austin Fire Department and by a set of Emergency Services Districts. Which one covers you changes who to ask.
Presses on evacuation planning
Many neighborhoods here have a single way out. The Alliance asks agencies the specific questions residents need answered, and shares what comes back.
Shares what works
What one neighborhood learns about brush disposal, chipper days, or getting an assessment scheduled should not have to be rediscovered by the next one.
Get updates
Preparedness reminders ahead of fire season, meeting notices, Firewise recognition news, and answers when agencies respond to our questions. By email, by text, or both. The list is never shared or sold.
This is not a way to report a fire or request emergency help. If you see fire or smoke, call 911.