Prescribed burn gets out of control in Hays County

What began as a controlled burn quickly jumped the lines in Hays County.

On Wednesday afternoon, the City of Austin prescribed a burn of 560 acres for water utility land management. The Austin Fire Department says a piece of a nearby cedar tree fell near the fire line, causing it to grow and burn an additional 200 acres.

No people were injured nor any structures damaged.

Some animals were threatened but Hays Animal Control took care of the animals.

AFD says prescribed burns are common, but they usually don’t go wrong.

“It's probably one of the most effective ways to manage the land to clear off a lot of the trees and stuff that shouldn't be here, junipers, and restore this to more of a savannah-like grassy area it's supposed to be,” said Division Chief Palmer Buck with AFD, speaking about prescribed burns.

Just a reminder, there is a burn ban in place for Hays County.