October 2011
Lake Travis
Economic Impact Report

We have witnessed epic events in our recent fires, including those in Western Travis County.  The Steiner Ranch and Spicewood/Pedernales fires are wake up calls for all –those who live in subdivisions and those who live on acreage “in the country.”  They tested the planning and resources of those who respond to fight major disasters and for those who focus on disaster relief.  A debt of gratitude goes out to all agencies and individuals who participated in fighting these fires.

Travis County was responsible for implementation and coordination of the resources used to fight these fires and I especially want to share and applaud Travis County’s success stories.  In the Steiner Ranch fire, Chief Linardos of Lake Travis Fire and Rescue (Travis County Emergency Services District #6) was the incident commander.  How lucky we are to have his wildfire expertise and experience – which he brought to us as a former fire chief in the Lake Tahoe/Reno area.  In the Spicewood fire, Chief Van Rens from Pedernales Fire Department (Emergency Services District #8) was the incident commander and his knowledge of the rural areas was a huge factor in the containment of this event.  Responses to both fires utilized resources and support from surrounding areas and from other county, municipal, state and federal departments including firefighters, law enforcement, equipment from departments and agencies like Travis County Road and Bridge and TXDOT, and volunteer organizations such as fire department auxiliaries and churches that provided firefighter and victim relief stations.

There are many unsung heroes of these successful fire fighting efforts and I thought it appropriate to share an example as a way to highlight the many heroic efforts that occurred, all day everyday, while these fires were fought.

Most of you have seen the aerial photo of the single house left standing on a cul de sac in Steiner Ranch.  Travis County Star Flight crews dropped water on that home all day long.  Why?  It was important to save that home for its owners and it was also strategically important in defending the Fire Line that Chief Linardos had drawn as the "must stop here" containment line.  If the fire had crossed that brushy open space into the next neighborhood, there were no other logically defensible locations to stop that fire and hundreds of homes in Steiner Ranch would have been at the highest risk of burning. Chief Linardos organized and utilized his resources, optimally, including Star Flight.

So, the Star Flight crews made trip after trip dropping water on that home. What risks were involved? Well, pilots know the limits of their aircraft and their ability.  The challenge is to operate the aircraft within those limits while being effective and suppressing the fire. Within that context, one of these pilots relayed to me his experience conducting water drops to contain this raging fire.  The fire was being fed by extremely dry conditions, low humidity and a strong North wind with speeds exceeding 30 miles per hour. The flight conditions encountered during this fire fight were extremely high temperatures that can effect the performance of the aircraft by creating up and down drafts as well as reduced visibility from heavy smoke. The pilots are cognizant that at anytime the fire could flare-up with flames that could reach heights of more than 100 feet. Smoke from the fire can also greatly reduce visibility and irritate the eyes / respiratory system of the pilot and flight crew. As well, there were many obstacle hazards in and around Steiner Ranch in the form of high-tension power lines and communication towers. Facing the many hazards associated with fighting wildland fires, Travis County STAR Flight crews have received extensive training and operate within standard guidelines to mitigate those risks.  That pilot and the rest of the STAR Flight team performed their jobs superbly as they made a record-amount of water drops on this fire.

In my opinion, everyone on that Fire Line – both on the ground and in the air -- is a hero.  I know there are more stories similar to the Star Flight one. Though many homes were sadly lost, that fire was stopped before much of Steiner Ranch could have been consumed.  My heartfelt thanks and praise goes all these heroes – sung and unsung! 

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