Television Station KXAN of Austin, Texas, reported recently that the Texas Forest Service will be creating a system, the Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal, to pinpoint wildfire damage anywhere in Texas. The Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal is an online mapping tool that the Texas Forest Service will used to send risk information and create awareness about wildfires in the state. The system is set to launch in November or December.

KXAN reported that the system will have three main features. First, it will have a Public Viewer which will allow users to assess their area’s risk of wildfires within a two-mile radius. The Public Viewer will also provide information on how to reduce your wildfire risk. Second, the Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal will have a Professional Viewer which will allow local governments to better plan their wildfire protection. With this system, local governments will be able to define a project area and generate a detailed risk summary report. Last, The Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal will contain a Fire Occurrence Explorer which will allow users to analyze historic fire occurrences. This will help users sort out previous causes of fire in their area.

I will post the online portal once it becomes available. From KXAN’s report, it sounds like this will be a useful tool to keep your family and property safe from wildfires that may spring up in your area.