Austin Fire Department prepares for July Fourth weekend

AUSTIN, Texas — Division Chief Thayer Smith has been answering the decision for the Austin Fireplace Division for 37 years.

“It is simply the love of the job, serving the residents of Austin, that is actually what it’s,” Smith mentioned. “It is gotten to the purpose, we’re busy nearly daily.”

In nearly 4 a long time of labor, he’s realized to at all times be on alert, particularly July Fourth weekend.

“With the vacation approaching a Monday, it is going to make the entire weekend a lot busier than regular,” Smith mentioned. 

Proper as his command began Friday afternoon, a home fireplace claimed the lifetime of three pets in North Austin and destroyed a lot of the construction. 

Thayer Smith has served as a member of the Austin Fireplace Division for 37 years and has been a division commander for the previous 5. (Spectrum Information 1)

“June is somewhat early to be this sizzling, so we have been coping with the warmth,” Smith mentioned.

File temperatures and drought circumstances have been widespread culprits at most of the scenes throughout the area. 

“We’re watching it very intently and can ramp it up if we see something, beginning a minimum of on Monday,” Smith mentioned. “We’ll positively have further staffing readily available for our brush vans and the anticipated fires we will have.”

Austin Fireplace Division Division Chief, Thayer Smith, urges an abundance of warning when utilizing any fire-related units this weekend. (Spectrum Information 1)

This weekend, Smith urges an abundance of warning when celebrating and to keep away from the usage of fireworks, that are unlawful in most of Central Texas.

“Simply go to an expert present and depart the fireworks to the professionals,” Smith mentioned. “At the moment isn’t going to be a fireworks name, this specific home fireplace we’re at proper now. Nonetheless, yearly we see a home burn down and it is so avoidable.”