AUSTIN, Texas — When it comes to battling fires like the Powder Keg Pine fire in Bastrop County, Carrie Stewart, division chief for the Austin Fire Department's (AFD) Wildfire Division, calls it a "twofold problem."
AFD sent one engine, two brush trucks and a battalion chief as part of a mutual aid request late Tuesday night.
"One is just the heat – fighting fire and the heat in general and the toll that takes on our personnel. The other is there's a community component to that also. We know that most wildfires are started by humans and from human interaction, so we're asking people to be very careful with any activity that they're doing that could cause a spark that could cause a wildfire," Stewart said.
Here is what people can do to prevent any risk of starting a fire.
"Don't drag a chain behind your truck. Make sure you don't throw your cigarette butts out the window. Make sure that you're not idling in tall grasses," Stewart said.
Stewart said we are seeing conditions ripe for wildfires. Fuel moistures are low, so there's not as much water in the grass and the trees. It is also hotter, with not as much humidity, creating the fire season we are seeing right now.
"As we introduce either people into our interface, or people move out into those green spaces, that's when we tend to see more starts," Stewart said.
Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS) also sent a commander to provide support to Bastrop County, flying its drone to identify the hotspots and monitor the overall fire situation during the nighttime.
"It's invaluable to have that point of view from an aerial observation standpoint," ATCEMS Capt. Darren Noak said. "We can search for the victims, the patients. Once we locate them, we can guide in the ground crews."