Fire officials around Central Texas have been warning for years of a growing wildfire threat. In 2011, Bastrop experienced what became the most destructive wildfire in Texas history. The blaze left four people dead,1,673 homes destroyed, and caused more than $325-million in property damage. Now, eight years later, the warnings have grown larger and many experts say it’s not a matter of if, but when the Austin-area experiences a fire even larger than that in Bastrop.
According to a new report from California-based CoreLogic, Austin is ranked #5 in the nation in terms of cities most at-risk for wildfires. The four other cities ahead of Austin are all in California — a state which sees major wildfires virtually every year. More than 54,000 homes in Austin are classified as being either at “high” or “extreme” risk, the report says. CoreLogic estimates the cost to repair all of those homes would be $16-billion.
The Austin Fire Department has been working on a robust fire mitigation plan known as the Wildland Urban Interface Code, a $1.5-million plan that would change building requirements in order to better protect homes and businesses from fire destruction. About two-thirds of Austin’s structures are said to be within the Wildland Urban Interface — areas where structures are adjacent to undeveloped land containing ample fuel for fires. The proposed WUI code would not apply to the majority of existing structures, but it would apply to any future projects.
Two other Texas cities made the top 15 in CoreLogic’s list of most at-risk cities. San Antonio is ranked #11, and Houston is ranked #15. Statewide, more than 195,000 homes are said to be at “high” risk, and more than 174,000 fall in the “extreme” category.
