Austin, TX

Texas fire officials say wildfires could happen anytime, anywhere

Published

1 year ago

August 10, 2023

Texas fire officials say wildfires could happen anytime, anywhere

Wildfire could happen anytime, anywhere

The Forest Service and AFD wildfire crews spoke about the very real possibility that a wildfire could happen anytime, anywhere, including in urban areas of Austin.

AUSTIN, Texas – Tuesday night’s destructive grass fire, turned apartment complex fire in Cedar Park demonstrated the sheer danger and unpredictability of the current wildfire season in Central Texas.

“The one takeaway is just how quickly, you know, a situation like that can evolve. You know, really, it doesn’t take a large fire in the wildland urban interface to cause massive loss,” said Walter Flocke of the Texas A&M Forest Service.

The Parmer Lane Fire sparked the same day the Forest Service increased its Wildland Fire Preparedness Level to Level 4, largely because of the dry conditions.

“Basically it means that we’re ramping into really the thick of fire season now. We’re seeing an increased number of requests, and we’re seeing from those requests an increased number of fires that are harder to control,” said Flocke.

Large grass fire on Decker Lane in Austin

Fire crews are working to put out a fire near the Travis County Expo Center. This is a three-alarm fire.

In just the past week, the Powder Keg Pine Fire scorched nearly 120 acres in Bastrop County, the Oak Grove fire near San Marcos burned 400 acres—destroying a home and other structures over the weekend—and in Kyle 50 homes were evacuated Tuesday after being threatened by a wildfire.

“Oftentimes, the more rural areas will start sparking fires before we do. So it’s a real cue that as these areas around us start burning, that we should anticipate that the fires will be moving into our area,” said Lt. Steve Gibbon of the Austin Fire Department’s Wildfire Division.

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AFD’s Wildfire Division has been on scene assisting at many of these recent fires, including the one in Cedar Park.

“We train in a way, and we develop policies where we can assist our partners and other communities when they’re experiencing wildfires, because we’re going to need help some day, and we’re going to ask them to show up for us,” said Wildfire Mitigation Officer Justice Jones with the Austin Fire Department.

Dozens lose their homes in Parmer Lane Fire

Multiple apartment units sustained fire damage after a brush fire spread over 50 acres in Cedar Park, leaving many without homes. One building was called a “total loss” by officials.

The city of Austin has seen its share of brush fires: one sparked in a homeless camp off Bluff Springs Road Friday, a grass fire along the railroad tracks downtown the same day, and then on Saturday a brush fire along Southwest Parkway was likely sparked by dragging chains.

“It’s really important that people obey the burn bans and are mindful that, you know, just chains from the back of a truck can cause a wildfire, a cigarette,” said Austin’s District 10 Council Member Alison Alter.

Alter says wildfires are most likely to strike around the perimeter of the city.

“All of those areas lie in what’s called the wildland urban interface,” said Alter. “The risks here are very real. We have been really lucky.”

But the fire in Cedar Park showed just how quickly that luck can run out, and why being ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice can be lifesaving.

“Particularly if you live in a high risk area, I would say having a good evacuation plan and having a “go bag” ready is essential after what we saw yesterday,” said Flocke.

To learn more about your wildfire risk, click here.

For resources on preparing for a wildfire in the city of Austin, click here.

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Austin, TX

Austin is the 2nd 'healthiest' city in America, Forbes says

Published

5 hours ago

October 31, 2024

Press Room

Austin is the 2nd 'healthiest' city in America, Forbes says

Is Halloween the new Christmas? Sure seems like it in Texas, which just earned top-5 status in a new study of the U.S. states that are the most into the Halloween spirit.

When it comes to doing up the spookiest holiday of the year, the Lone Star State comes in as the third-most Halloween-obsessed state in America.

The report by outdoor furniture retailer Backyard Oasis ranked all 50 states based on an analysis of search results for Halloween costumes, decor, candy, haunted houses, upcoming Halloween events, and more. State populations were also factored into the rankings to ensure the scores were “accurately comparable.”

Texas ranked No. 3 with a composite score of 48.16 points, beat only by California who ruled the list at No. 1, and New York which came in at No. 2, earning gilded costume crowns as the top two most Halloween-enthusiastic states.

According to the study’s data, Texas is home to 47 haunted houses. The state has more than 75 Spirit Halloween stores in 2024, including nearly 30 in DFW, a dozen in Houston, half a dozen in Austin, and four in San Antonio.

Austinites have plenty of Halloween events to choose from, including a night out at one of many themed bars or artsy showcases. Looking outside of Austin, there are approximately 3,000 Halloween-related events happening all around the state in October.

Many trick-or-treaters dream of getting full size candy bars for Halloween, but in a surprising twist, the study found that the most popular Halloween candy in Texas is actually Sour Patch Kids. The sour-then-sweet candy is also highly popular in New York and Illinois, the report says.

Here’s how Backyard Oasis broke down the rest of Texas’ score:

9,314,440 – Halloween costume searches in October 2023
1,168,320 – Halloween decoration searches
445,670 – Halloween candy searches

Backyard Oasis CEO Andy Wu said in the report that the spirit of Halloween isn’t just about giving out candy or dressing up in fun costumes, it’s about sharing in a “tradition that sparks creativity and joy across the U.S.”

“Halloween is one of the most exciting times of the year, bringing people together through creativity and celebration,” said Wu. “It’s amazing to see how different states embrace the holiday in their own unique ways, from massive costume searches to thrilling haunted houses.”

The top 10 most Halloween-obsessed states are:

No. 1 – California
No. 2 – New York
No. 3 – Texas
No. 4 – Florida
No. 5 – Illinois
No. 6 – Ohio
No. 7 – Pennsylvania
No. 8 – Indiana
No. 9 – Michigan
No. 10 – Massachusetts

The least spooky state in the U.S. is Wyoming, which came in at No. 50, joined by nearby states Montana and South Dakota. New Mexico (No. 46) and Vermont (No. 47) were the other two states on the list’s bottom five.

The full report can be found on backyardoas.com.

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Austin, TX

AOG Living Breaks Ground on Novum Capital View in Austin, Texas

Published

12 hours ago

October 31, 2024

Press Room

AOG Living Breaks Ground on Novum Capital View in Austin, Texas

Firms Begins their Second Development Project in the 55+ Market

HOUSTON, Oct. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — AOG Living has broken ground on their second active adult community, Novum Capitol View in Austin, Texas, adding an additional 168 units to its growing development portfolio across the nation.

Left to Right: Kenneth Schaper (Superintendent) Michel Aviles (Project Engineer) Paul Riley (President, AOG Construction) Toni Boyette (Regional Manager) Ricardo Rivas (CEO) Justin Hunt (Associate) Sherri Swope (Senior Project Manager)

Developed by AOG Living and financed by CBRE, Novum Capitol View is slated for completion in late 2025. The 55+ luxury community is located at 9009 Capitol View Drive in Southeast Austin and offers a mix of studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments. Designed by architects Humphreys & Partners, the community will offer amenities such as weekly programming and activities, saltwater pool, dog park, community gardens, putting green, grilling station, yoga/aerobics room, hair/nail salon, fitness center, multi-purpose activity room, theater and game lounge, and air-conditioned storage units. AOG Living will also provide management for Novum Capitol View.

“We’re excited to leverage our experience in construction and development of Class A properties as well as our management experience of both Class A and senior living communities with our new, active adult community platform,” said Justin Hunt, Investment Associate at AOG Living.” AOG Living Chief Executive Officer Ricardo Rivas continued, “This project represents AOG Living’s ongoing expansion and dedication to serving diverse housing needs. We look forward to bringing our quality standards, community-driven values, and innovative property management as we expand our footprint in the Austin area.” For more information visit aogliving.com.

About AOG Living

AOG Living is a leading fully integrated, multifamily real estate investment, construction, and property management firm headquartered in Houston, Texas, with additional offices in Dallas and San Antonio. AOG Living has acquired, built, or developed more than 20,000 multifamily units with a total aggregate value of approximately $2.4 billion and has a growing portfolio of more than 35,000 apartment homes and 170+ properties under management throughout the nation. For more information, visit aogliving.com.

For More Information Contact:
Carrie Saks
[email protected]
713-622-5844

SOURCE AOG Living

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Austin, TX

Election 2024: Strong turnout in Texas for early voting

Published

20 hours ago

October 31, 2024

Press Room

Election 2024: Strong turnout in Texas for early voting

Early voting in Texas

Strong early voting turnout continued Wednesday, as more Central Texans opted to head to the polls ahead of Election Day.

TEXAS – Strong early voting turnout continued on Wednesday, as more Central Texans opted to head to the polls ahead of Election Day.

“It does look like this is going to be a relatively high turnout election in Texas,” said Joshua Blank with the Texas Politics Project at UT Austin.

“Higher turnout is good because it means people are supporting the system,” said Dr. Brian Smith, a political science professor at St. Edward’s University.

In Travis, Williamson and Hays Counties, significantly more people turned out in the first week of early voting this year, compared to 2020. Although COVID and population growth affect that comparison, there’s no doubt this year’s numbers are high.

“This has been such a nasty, divisive election at the presidential level that people have made up their mind, and they want to cast their votes sooner rather than later,” said Smith.

Large number of people turnout for early voting

In Travis County, the vote count may be coming from a large number of first-time voters. There is also a possibility some of those casting a ballot now haven’t voted in a while.

In Texas, some experts say that could spell an advantage for Republicans.

“So far, the data from early voting indicates that significantly more voters with a Republican primary voting history have voted than voters with a Democratic primary voting history. And that gap is unlikely to be erased,” said Blank.

Part of that equation could be people turning out who haven’t voted in a while.

“There’s been a lot of discussion lately about Trump’s ability to turn out low-propensity voters, people who are unlikely to vote, and his appeal among these voters,” said Blank.

MORE ELECTION 2024 COVERAGE

Other factors could help Democrats, though. Looking at Travis County, more young people and first-time voters are making their voices heard this year, with 18- to 25-year-olds showing the largest increase in registration.

“When we look at first time voters, this often helps the Democrats. They tend to do better with younger voters or voters who are new to the system,” said Smith.

In its latest poll, the Texas Politics Project delved into what issues are motivating Texans to show up.

“Voters told us that the economy and prices were driving them to the polls. This is an issue that most voters feel on a daily basis,” said Blank. “Abortion remains a concern, but more so for Democratic voters.”

46K in Travis Co. vote on first day of early voting

Around five percent of registered voters in Travis County cast their ballot on the first day of early voting Monday.

That same poll showed former President Donald Trump leading Vice President Kamala Harris by five points in the presidential race in Texas. In the race for U.S. Senate, it showed Sen. Ted Cruz, leading Democratic challenger Rep. Colin Allred by seven points.

“There’s no indication in our polling or any of the other polling at this point, along with what we’ve seen in early voting turnout to date indicate a Democratic surprise here in Texas,” said Blank.

Eight early voting locations in Travis County will have extended hours Thursday and Friday. They’ll be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. for the last two days of early voting. Those locations are:

Austin Permitting and Development Center