WASHINGTON – Wildfires can occur anywhere in the country with the potential to destroy homes, businesses, infrastructure, natural resources, and agriculture. Last year, the United States experienced over 63,000 wildfires that burned more than three million acres. National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is Saturday, May 2, and people across the nation will dedicate time to making their communities a safer place should a wildfire occur.

Wildfires can start in remote wilderness areas, national parks, or even your backyard.  They can start from natural causes, such as lightning, but most are caused by humans, either accidentally—from cigarettes, campfires, or outdoor burning—or intentionally. 

“When our citizens prepare and adopt the principles of fire-adapted communities, the loss of life and property from wildland fires is greatly reduced,” said United States Fire Administrator Ernest Mitchell.  

Protect your family and community from a wildfire by taking action before one happens.  On National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day, join your friends, family members, faith-based group or youth organization, and volunteer your time to improve your community’s ability to withstand and recover from a wildfire, which also may improve the safety of firefighters.

There are many ways to help protect homes, neighborhoods, businesses, and entire communities:

  • Reduce the amount of flammable materials and brush that can burn around your home or business;
  • Create a fire-free area within the first five feet of your home using non-flammable materials and high moisture-content plantings;
  • Maintain an area that is clear of flammable materials and debris for at least 30 feet on all sides from your home or business; and
  • Move wood piles and propane tanks to at least 30 feet from your home or business.

National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is part of America’s PrepareAthon! a grassroots campaign for action to get people better prepared for emergencies through group discussions, drills and exercises.  You can take steps to prepare to reduce the devastating effects of any disaster by creating a family communication plan and practicing how you will evacuate and communicate with friends and family members in an emergency. Register your action at www.ready.gov/prepare.

Learn more about National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day. Visit the ready.gov and learn how to prepare for a wildfire.

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Make Your Community Safer on National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day

DENVER – This month marks two key wildfire anniversaries which serve as an important reminder that families need to take proactive steps to protect themselves and their property against wildfires. 

Twenty years ago on July 2, 1994, lightning sparked a fire on Storm King Mountain, just west of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The South Canyon Fire started out slowly, covering just three acres over two days. Then due to several factors including available vegetation, slope of the terrain and wind, the fire began a high-intensity, fast-moving front. While fighting the blaze, 14 firefighters lost their lives.

July 9, 2014 marked the 25th Anniversary of the Black Tiger Fire in Boulder County, Colorado. The human-caused fire swept through residential areas, destroying 44 homes and burning almost 2,100 acres. At the time, the Black Tiger Fire was the worst wildland fire loss in Colorado history. As people continued to build in the Wildland Urban Interface, the Black Tiger Fire underscored the importance of homeowners taking steps to protect their homes against wildfires. The lessons learned from the Black Tiger Fire were a catalyst for many of the current recommended mitigation measures established by firefighting organizations.

In recognition of both anniversaries, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region want you to prepare yourself, your family and your property for wildfires.  Taking steps to mitigate not only protects you and your family, but also helps reduce risk to firefighters and other first responders.

Understand your Risk:

  • To determine your property’s risk, contact your local fire department.  They will be able to provide specific information about your community’s hazards, and may be able to offer an individual assessment on your home. 
  • If you live in Colorado, you may also check your property’s risk at the Colorado Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal

Protect your Property:

  • Create defensible space around your property:
    • Clear leaves and other debris from gutters, eaves, porches and decks – and don’t use these areas for storage of flammable items. This helps prevent embers from igniting these materials.
    • Keep lawns hydrated and maintained. Dry grass and shrubs are fuel for wildfire.
    • Remove flammable materials within five feet of the home’s foundation and outbuildings, including garages and sheds. If it can catch fire, don’t let it touch the house, deck or wood fencing.
    • Reduce vegetation surrounding the home’s perimeter from a 5 foot to 30 foot area and manage vegetation there to 200 feet or the property line, depending on the area’s wildfire risk.
    • The National Fire Protection Association’s “basics of defensible space and the home ignition zone” page on the Firewise site provides these and other steps to help homeowners prepare their properties to resist wildfire.

Prepare Yourself and Your Family:

  • Build an Emergency Kit and make a Family Communications Plan.  Visit www.ready.gov for preparedness checklists.
  • During a wildfire, listen to local evacuation orders.  Do not wait to see what will happen! Due to many variables, including winds, wildfires can change course and speed quickly.

For information on the current wildfire threat, visit the National Interagency Fire Center’s Monthly Wildland Fire Potential Outlook.  For additional information on wildfire mitigation resources, visit FEMA Region VIII’s Wildfire Mitigation Resources Page or www.firewise.org/wildfire-preparedness.

A timeline of some of the most significant wildfires within the six-state region covered by FEMA’s Denver regional office is available at FEMA Region VIII’s Wildfire Timeline Page.

 

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July Anniversaries are an Important Reminder to Prepare for Wildfires