Travis County Parks plans to conduct multiple prescribed burns at East Metropolitan Park the week of January 10, 2022. The prescribed burns are planned for Wednesday and/or Thursday. The prescribed burns will occur between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and will take approximately three to six hours to complete.
Travis County Parks is conducting the prescribed burns in cooperation with personnel from the local fire departments and natural resource agencies.
The prescribed burns are intended to reduce wildfire danger and improve ecosystem health by removing invading shrubs, consuming dead and downed vegetation, reducing the number of exotic species, and enhancing the health and diversity of the native plant community.
Multiple wind directions are expected over the next two days and all areas surrounding the park could be affected by smoke. One of the primary objectives of the prescribed burns is to reduce heavy fuel accumulations and we will be constructing piles to meet this objective. This will increase the amount of smoke produced during the prescribed burns and may make smoke impacts more likely. Smoke could be present for much of the day but it is expected to be relatively light.
The park will remain open during the prescribed burn; however, some portions of the park will be closed. We anticipate closing the entire southern portion of the park, which will affect access to the soccer fields, the disc golf course, and portions of the paved trail. Other areas within the park that are not closed may be impacted by smoke from the prescribed burn. Closures may extend into the weekend in some locations.
East Metropolitan Park is located at 18706 Blake Manor Road, Manor, TX 78653.
Media note: The Park will remain open. There may be a PIO or staff available for interviews. Please call the Park Supervisor (contact listed above) for more information.
- Hector Nieto, Travis County PIO, 956-251-2902
- Glen Gillman, Park Land Manager, 512-844-7480
