'We have to be prepared' | As California wildfires rage, Central Texans worry about the risk in their neighborhoods

AUSTIN, Texas — As the California wildfires rage on, some Central Texans are sounding the alarm on the possibility of one happening in Austin.

One Sunset Valley homeowner, Horacio Gasquet, says the risk is high. 

“I have all these woods here and there’s a ton of dead and down material that can burn and make some rather large fires,” Gasquet said. 

To mitigate the risk of wildfires, Gasquet follows a program called “Firewise,” which helps communities work with the fire department on guidance and direction. 

Gasquet said he hardens his home on Barton View Drive, meaning he increases its resistance to wildfires. 

“I used to have hedges in the front of my house, and I got rid of all the hedges so that if those caught fire, they wouldn’t catch the house on fire. And I try and build a defensible space around the house where nothing can burn things,” Gasquet said. 

Josh Portie, a battalion chief for the Austin Fire Department, says mitigating any risk starts with the homeowner. 

“Not using combustible doormats, simple things like that, cleaning out our gutters, considering gutter covers of some sort,” Portie said. “Getting rid of the limbs that are draped over the top of our house. It’s getting rid of all the limbs that are draped over the wooden balconies and decks. It’s considering changing our siding to a noncombustible siding.”

He said taking those steps to lower the fire risk to your home could save lives. 

“We can see that out in California, you can get overwhelmed, you know, and we have to be prepared for worst case,” Gasquet said. 

For more information on ways you can protect yourself against wildfires, visit the Austin-Area Wildfire Hub. The Austin Fire Department can also visit your home and assess ways to protect it. You can contact AFD at 512-974-0290. 

AFD also has an entire wildfire battalion of eight stations that have specialized wildfire training.