Central Texas under Red Flag Warning for Sunday

AUSTIN – The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for all of South Central Texas. The warning will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Central Texas fire watch

NWS predicts northern winds of 15 to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. Relative humidity is set to be 15-20%, along with dry vegetation. The agency says that the combination of these conditions will favor the spread of wildfires.

The Critical Fire Weather Watch comes just days after Austin and Travis County officials announced wildfire preparedness, including what’s being called No-Ember November.

For the entire month, the city and county leaders will be hosting social media and community events aimed at making sure people are aware of fire prevention practices, as well as how to be prepared when a wildfire strikes.

The city and county have also updated their Community Wildfire Prevention Plan, which looks to reduce the risk of wildfire damage by making sure communities are aware of what to do when fires spread.

Austin homes could be at risk

What they’re saying:

“This time of year, we also start seeing the grasses, which are fuel for fires, they start to cure out and go dormant for the winter months,” says Walter Flocke, a fire analyst with the Texas A&M Forest Service.

“Austin ranks 5th in the nation for the number of homes at risk for wildfire. It is important that we as community leaders take action to educate the public on this risk and steps they can take to protect themselves while we are also planning for how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters,” says Austin Mayor, Kirk Watson.

“Specifically, this plan will access and map current wildfire hazards, vulnerabilities and hazards across the county,” says Travis County Judge Andy Brown.

One of the major factors in the new plan is community input.

“We’re not writing these plans for the community, we’re writing them with the community,” says the director of Austin Emergency Management.

What you can do:

Mayor Watson is also urging the public to enroll with Warn Central Texas, which be one of the primary ways officials will be able to notify communities of emergency events.

Any HOA’s, businesses or other community leaders are also encouraged to visit Ready Central Texas. The site will allow the public to request preparedness training for disasters.