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News and Information
FIRE DANGER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 222 AM CDT TUE JUL 18, 2023
...ELEVATED TO NEAR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED...
* AFFECTED AREA: HILL COUNTRY, I-35 CORRIDOR, RIO GRANDE PLAINS AND THE SOUTHERN EDWARDS PLATEAU.
* TIMING: FROM 1 PM UNTIL 9 PM.
* WIND: SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH IN THE EVENING.
* RELATIVE HUMIDITY: AS LOW AS 15-20 PERCENT.
* FUEL DRYNESS: DRY TO CRITICALLY DRY.
FOR ADDITIONAL FORECAST DETAILS PLEASE SEE THE FIRE WEATHER PLANNING FORECAST ON OUR WEBSITE.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
AFFECTED RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO EXERCISE CARE WITH RESPECT TO ALL OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES THAT COULD INADVERTENTLY CAUSE WILDFIRES.
AVOID THE USE OF WELDING OR GRINDING EQUIPMENT NEAR GRASS AND DRY BRUSH. IN ADDITION, AVOID PARKING VEHICLES IN TALL, DRY GRASS AND
WEEDS THAT COULD BE IGNITED.
DO NOT TOSS CIGARETTE BUTTS ON THE GROUND. REPORT WILDFIRES QUICKLY TO THE NEAREST FIRE DEPARTMENT OR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICE.
CAUTION: Please remember as we work on cleaning up our properties and trimming up our trees, there is always a danger of getting Oak Wilt.
- What Is Oak Wilt?
Oak wilt is one of the most destructive tree diseases in the United States. The disease has killed more than 1 million trees in 76 Central Texas counties. Oak wilt is an infectious vascular disease caused by the fungus Bretziella fagacearum. The fungus invades and disables the water conducting system in susceptible trees. All oaks can be infected with oak wilt, but some species of oak are more susceptible than others. Red oaks, particularly Spanish oak (Quercus buckleyi), are very susceptible to the fungus. White oaks, like post oak (Q. stellata) and bur oak (Q. macrocarpa), are resistant to the fungus and rarely die from the disease. Live oaks (Q. virginiana and Q. fusiformis) are intermediate in susceptibility to oak wilt. However, they are seriously impacted by the disease because of their tendency to form root sprouts that result in a vast interconnected root system allowing the disease to easily spread to adjacent trees. - How Can I Prevent My Trees From Getting Oak Wilt? Prevention plays an important role in the management of oak wilt. Landowners, homeowners and landscapers can take an active role in oak wilt prevention by taking the following steps: 1. Avoid pruning or wounding oaks between February 1 and July 1. This is the time of year when oak wilt fungal mats are most likely to form and nitidulid beetles are active. If a nitidulid beetle carries oak wilt spores from a fungal mat to a fresh wound on an uninfected oak tree, the fungus could become established in the disease-free tree. The least hazardous periods for pruning are during the coldest days of midwinter or extended periods of hot weather in mid- to late summer. 2. Sterilize/Sanitize all pruning equipment between trees using denatured methyl alcohol (shellac thinner), isopropyl alcohol, or a general purpose household disinfectant such as Lysol, Listerine, Pine-Sol or related products. Using household bleach is NOT recommended as it can be corrosive to pruning tools as well as people. 3. Immediately paint all wounds on oaks to prevent contact with contaminated beetles. Wounds should be painted, regardless of the time of year they were made, with commercial tree wound dressing or latex paint (color doesn’t matter!). Wounds can be either man made or natural and include freshly-cut stumps and damaged surface roots. Also, please follow-up on your landscapers if they trim your trees. Some landscapers do not paint the cut part of your tree or they forget. If you have any questions about Oak Wilt, please go to the following website for more information: https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/OakWiltFAQS/ (https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/OakWiltFAQS/)
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