Did You See Smoke in South Austin? It Was Just a Prescribed Burn

If you saw huge plumes of smoke in South Austin on Wednesday morning, don’t be alarmed. It was a prescribed burn conducted by several city agencies.

“Prescribed burn today on Water Quality Protection Lands. Smoke possible near Brodie, Mopac, SH 45, south Slaughter,” Austin Water said on its Twitter account.

Smoke was visible south of Slaughter Lane.

Austin Water officials said Wednesday’s prescribed burn [pictured above] was a “success.”

Presrcibed, or controlled, burns can be helpful to the area, especially in hot temperatures. “After many years of fire exclusion, an ecosystem that needs periodic fire becomes unhealthy. Trees are stressed by overcrowding; fire-dependent species disappear; and flammable fuels build up and become hazardous,” according to the U.S. Fire and Aviation Management.

The right fire at the right place at the right time:

• Reduces hazardous fuels, protecting human communities from extreme fires;
• Minimizes the spread of pest insects and disease;
• Removes unwanted species that threaten species native to an ecosystem;
• Provides forage for game;
• Improves habitat for threatened and endangered species;
• Recycles nutrients back to the soil; and
• Promotes the growth of trees, wildflowers, and other plants;

[PHOTO: Austin Water]