Travis County Parks to conduct prescribed burn at Del Valle park Tuesday

DEL VALLE, Texas - Travis County Parks plans to conduct a prescribed burn at a Del Valle park on Tuesday.

The prescribed burn at Southeast Metropolitan Park will occur between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Jan. 7 and will take approximately two to four hours to complete, says Travis County Parks, who is conducting the burn in cooperation with personnel from local fire departments and natural resource agencies.

The burn is 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, says Travis County Parks.

Anticipated north winds will carry the smoke to the south, across the park, and SH 71. Due to the small size and the distance between the burn and adjacent roads and communities, smoke impacts are expected to be relatively light.

The park will remain open, but some portions of the park specifically the Multi-use Trail will close for part of the week. Those areas of the park remaining open may be impacted by smoke from the burn.