Central Texas Fire Departments Adopt AI Wildfire Modeling Tool

New platform helps firefighters better predict and mitigate wildfire threats

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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Several Central Texas fire departments, including Travis County Fire Rescue, Westlake Fire Department, Lake Travis Fire Rescue, and Pflugerville Fire Department, have adopted a new AI-powered wildfire risk modeling tool called 'Mitigate' developed by FiSci. The platform uses predictive analytics to generate detailed simulations of how wildfires could spread and intensify, allowing firefighters to strategically deploy resources and test mitigation techniques.

Why it matters

As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of wildfires in the region, this new AI modeling tool gives Central Texas fire departments a data-driven approach to better anticipate and respond to wildfire threats, potentially saving lives, property, and resources.

The details

The 'Mitigate' platform combines detailed data on vegetation, weather patterns, and topography to generate highly accurate wildfire spread simulations. This allows firefighters to test the impact of mitigation strategies like shaded fuel breaks, vegetation management, and changes to roadway access before implementing them. The tool can also help departments optimize staffing and resource allocation during high-risk conditions.

  • The 'Mitigate' platform was adopted by several Central Texas fire departments in 2026.

The players

FiSci

The company that developed the 'Mitigate' AI-powered wildfire risk modeling tool.

Ken Bailey

The fire chief of Travis County Fire Rescue, one of the departments that has adopted the 'Mitigate' platform.

Westlake Fire Department

One of the Central Texas fire departments that has adopted the 'Mitigate' wildfire modeling tool.

Lake Travis Fire Rescue

One of the Central Texas fire departments that has adopted the 'Mitigate' wildfire modeling tool.

Pflugerville Fire Department

One of the Central Texas fire departments that has adopted the 'Mitigate' wildfire modeling tool.

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What they’re saying

“Stuff like this allows us to really think about how we are deploying our resources. [For example] what's the probability it's going to jump over and then threaten [a] neighborhood? By running these simulations, we get a higher sense of what our risks are.”

— Ken Bailey, Fire Chief, Travis County Fire Rescue (KXAN)

“These are before you make a decision to go out and spend the time and the energy and the resources to do it. We have the advantage of running a simulation to see if the bang is worth the buck.”

— Ken Bailey, Fire Chief, Travis County Fire Rescue (KXAN)

“We all have fixed budgets, generally speaking, and so should we staff up today—does that match—because that costs money. This allows us to make a higher quality decision about where we put our resources, whether or not we're up staffing.”

— Ken Bailey, Fire Chief, Travis County Fire Rescue (KXAN)

What’s next

The fire departments plan to continue using the 'Mitigate' platform to test and refine their wildfire mitigation strategies as conditions change in the region.

The takeaway

By adopting this advanced AI-powered wildfire modeling tool, Central Texas fire departments are taking a proactive, data-driven approach to anticipating and responding to the growing threat of wildfires in the region, which will become increasingly important as climate change exacerbates these natural disasters.