HOA investigates tree trimming

AUSTIN (KXAN) - One year after the fire that burned 24 structures and destroyed 126 acres in Steiner Ranch, homeowners are still trying to find ways to keep their properties safe.

"It's some of our more challenging topography in some areas of Steiner Ranch," said Assistant Fire Chief John Durham. "It's very dense- and it makes firefighting efforts very difficult."

Durham recommends people clear brush from around their homes, remove any dead vegetation and keep tall trees trimmed. Lake Travis Fire and Rescue started a pilot program for Wildland Fuels reduction where a team periodically performs these tasks in Steiner Ranch.

"We're not going to tell anybody that they have to do it by any means- let alone tell them that they have to do and then pay someone to have it done," said Durham.

But that is what the Steiner Ranch Homeowners Association began investigating this week. A Facebook posting on the Steiner Ranch Social Committee page warns residents about a company claiming they were sent by Lake Travis Fire and Rescue- or the Fire Marshal- to trim trees- and then asking homeowners to pay for it.

"We would never do that," said Durham. "We promote the Firewise Communities program here in ESD 6 and through that program it establishes some reasonable approaches to fuel mitigation around one's home, but we certainly do not mandate those standards."

Several homeowners did have their trees trimmed by American Tree Service. The evidence is in piles all over the sidewalks, but the owner of that company told KXAN he never told anyone the trimming was mandatory, as some homeowners claimed. Matt Truett went on to say he would never take advantage or mislead anyone for business.

"This close to the anniversary with these kind of conditions- particularly last weekend being close to having a red flag warning here in our area- those kinds of things are on people's minds," said Durham.

Homeowners with questions about how to protect their homes from fire should call the Travis County Fire Marshal or the Lake Travis Fire and Rescue .