Community and firefighters collaborate to reduce wildfire risk 

TJ Harais volunteered to help reduce wildfire risk in Steiner Ranch in the fall. His home burned during the Labor Day weekend fires of 2011. “It hadn’t rained in months and everything went up like a tinderbox,” he said.

By RACHEL NEUTZLER, LT Fire Rescue 

A dedicated team of volunteers from the Steiner Ranch Firewise group joined forces with Lake Travis Fire Rescue Fuels Mitigation crew to create a shaded fuel break in the Plateau section of the community, a section adjacent to where the 2011 wildfire occurred destroying more than 23 homes. 

TJ Harais volunteered. His home was one of the six out of 10 that burned to the ground in their cul de sac on Labor Day weekend 2011.

He remembers that their son spotted smoke first from their home’s upper level. “Within probably 10 minutes, I couldn’t see across the cul de sac. The wind was going about 60 miles an hour that day,” Harais said.

A fire department car came into the cul de sac and used a bullhorn, telling everyone they had one minute to gather belongings and leave.

“It came up so fast. It was super hot,” Harais said. “It hadn’t rained in months and everything went up like a tinderbox.” 

Working under LTFR’s guidance on September 28, volunteers tackled overgrown and dead vegetation, creating a defensible space that extended 20-30 feet behind homeowners’ property lines. Careful attention was given to preserving the area’s natural beauty while still ensuring the land was prepared to mitigate wildfire risks.

“Seeing so many of our neighbors unite for such an important cause is truly inspiring,” said Debbie Tanner-Jacobs, Steiner Ranch Residential Owners Association president. “I’m incredibly proud of the volunteers who rolled up their sleeves and worked alongside Lake Travis Fire Rescue’s Fuels Mitigation crew to make our community safer.”

This project targeted land between John Simpson Trail and Runnels Court, focusing on reducing wildfire hazards by eliminating ladder fuels, dead vegetation, and smaller non-hardwood trees. LTFR utilized their chipper to process tree limbs, which were spread thinly on the ground to act as natural mulch. 

“This collaboration is a powerful example of how a community and its local fire department can work hand in hand to reduce wildfire risk,” said Fire Chief Robert Abbott of Lake Travis Fire Rescue. “Protecting homes and lives in wildfire-prone areas like Steiner Ranch requires everyone’s participation.”  

This is the first of many projects planned for the community. For more information on wildfire preparedness, visit www.ltfr.org