Megan Navarro
HAYS COUNTY — As there have been more notices of prescribed burns posted, Hays County Fire Marshal Steve Seddig and North Hays County Fire Rescue Fire Chief Scott Collard shared what the community should know.
A prescribed fire, or burn, creates sustainable forests and ecosystems, reducing hazardous fuel — a buildup of twigs, grasses and pine straw — and the effects of a potential wildfire, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. They are conducted by certified and insured burners, who create plans that align with land management goals and prepare the land by creating fire breaks.
“It's a planned application and the use of fire usually to mitigate some environmental conditions, like to reduce fire hazards on properties, restore the ecology, control invasive plants and there's several other items that would fall under that category, as well,” Collard said.
A property owner can perform a controlled burn on their property assuming all the conditions, like there is no burn ban, are met, Collard explained. However, a prescribed burn could still be conducted and not necessarily have to follow burn ban restrictions that the county implements, as long as it’s following all of the legal regulations that are under the Texas Administrative Code, as well as the burn manager certification under the Texas Natural Resources Code.
Recently, Hays County residents have been seeing more posted signs of prescribed burns that are being conducted, but they are in neighboring counties. According to Seddig, typically, most of these are happening in the Austin Water District, between FM 150 and RM 967, which has about 3,000 to 4,000 acres that backs up into Hays County.
“The whole focus for their prescribed burn program is that land [was] purchased in the '80s or donated to Austin for the recharge area for Barton Creek. When they do prescribed burns, that’s what they are doing. They are managing that land to put down the thatch and then, they rotate that throughout the whole facility and just burn them in different parcels,” he said.
There can be benefits to prescribed burns, Seddig said, such as minimizing the long-term damage of old vegetation, trees and plants.
Those who see smoke or fire in the distance and they are unsure if it is a prescribed burn, Collard said they should call 911 and give as much detailed information on directions as they can.
“We've seen what can happen in other states and we've also seen some good ones in Texas. And I mean, I understand the concern. So, if they have concern, they should absolutely call 911. If there's any way they can look on a website for a piece of property or landmark [and if there is] anything that we're aware of, we try to push out on social media. The county does the same thing, if they're aware of any taking place,” Collard explained. “Most of the time, these burns are in adjacent counties where there's state parks and where there's some sort of management land. When you are sitting there, looking out your back window, across the valley and you see a big column of smoke, we understand the concern.”
To learn more, visit the following helpful links:
• Warn Central Texas for critical community alerts: www.warncentraltexas.org
• Austin Water: www.austintexas.gov/department/water-quality-protection-lands
• Hays County Facebook: www.facebook.com/hayscountytexas
• North Hays County Fire Facebook: www.facebook.com/NorthHaysFire
• Prescribed Burn Program: www.texasagriculture.gov/Home/Production-Agriculture/Prescribed-Burn-Program
