May: National Wildfire Awareness Month

Depending on where you live, May is a bit of a transition month. If you enjoy a climate with seasons, it typically means warmer weather, melting snow, thunderstorms, spring showers and of course, wind. Wind drives wildfires as carless folks and lightning strikes ignite fires that rage out of control. The fires turn into powerful forest fires and actual naturally occurring wildfires.

The folks at Ready.Gov have tips for homeowners and businesses on how to learn more about wildfires. They give ideas on what you can do to minimize a fire’s impact and how to plan for the event.

What You Should Know about Wild Fires

• Know what to do before, during, and after a wild fire.
• Learn evacuation routes and plan to evacuate if advised by local authorities.
• Have emergency supplies in place at home, at work, and in the car.
• Create a communications plan with your family and co-workers.
• Listen to local officials.
• Get supplies now so you can grab them quickly if you need to evacuate.

Fire Doesn’t Have To Be Close To Disrupt Life/Business

Fires don’t have to burn a home or business down to cause havoc. A fire or windstorm 5 to 10 miles away might cause a power line to topple over or the utility might cut power as a precaution. All it takes is one downed power line to spark a fire. Having a backup plan is essential. A standby generator can power your business and keep you on pace to hit your goals even if a distant fire causes an outage.
 
Municipalities have backup power in the form of an industrial generator on services such as water treatment plants. A power outage could compromise drinking water if your local leaders don't have the correct precautions in place.

Plan Ahead

• Before a wildfire, place critical documents in a fire safe or valuable data on a server or hard drive.
• Store supplies now so you can grab them quickly if you need to evacuate.
• Take time to make a list of the things you would need or want to take with you if you had to leave your home or office quickly.
• Learn about your wildfire risk from your local fire or forestry department.
• It’s never too early to start preparing your family or team for the event of a fire.
• Have emergency provisions in place before a wildfire strikes! Water, extra clothing etc.

Alerts & Warnings

• Sign up to receive text or e-mail alerts about emergencies like fires from your local Office of Emergency Management.
• Timely information on wildfires can save your life & property. Learn about alerts & warnings.
• The National Weather Service issues a Fire Weather Watch when potentially dangerous fire weather conditions are possible over the next 12 to 72 hours.
• The NWS also issues Fire Weather/Red Flag Warning when wildfire conditions occur or are expected to occur within 24 hours.

Story Summary

What is National Wildfire Awareness Month?
National Wildfire Awareness Month is observed in May to promote wildfire prevention and preparedness. Areas prone to wildfires.

Why is May designated as Wildfire Awareness Month?
May is chosen because it's when warmer weather begins drying out vegetation, increasing wildfire risk as summer approaches.

What are some key wildfire prevention tips?

• Create defensible space by clearing flammable materials from your business and home
• Properly extinguish campfires and avoid burning on windy days
• Use caution with fireworks and machinery that could spark fires
• Install mesh screens on vents to block embers

How can I prepare for wildfire season?
Have an evacuation plan and emergency kit ready

What should be in a wildfire emergency kit?

• Essential items include:
• Important documents
• Medications
• First aid supplies
• Water
• Portable chargers
• N95 masks for smoke protection

How can I stay informed about wildfire risks?

• Sign up for local emergency alerts and warnings
• Monitor weather forecasts for fire weather conditions
• Use online wildfire risk assessment tools for your area

Brian La Rue | 5/20/2024 4:30:55 PM | 0 comments