Wildfire Outbreaks Have Emergency Managers, Fire Personnel on Their Toes

With wildfires burning in Colorado, Arizona and elsewhere, emergency managers and fire organizations are working to educate the public to try and keep fires to a minimum, especially in the hot and dry Western U.S. As seen on the U.S. Drought Monitor Map, conditions in much of the Western U.S. range between moderate and severe, further fueling the onset of more wildfires. 

That has fire organizations working to prevent additional fire outbreaks by imposing restrictions and educating the public. “One of the main methods is imposing fire restrictions,” said Cliff Pearlberg, public affairs officer for the Arizona State Forestry Division. 

Stage 1 fire restrictions include prohibiting building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire and smoking in a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that’s barren or cleared of all flammable materials. 

Stage 2 fire restrictions include prohibiting certain activities between 1 p.m. and 1 a.m., including: Operating any internal combustion engine, welding or operating acetylene or any other torch with an open flame, and using an open explosive. A one-hour foot patrol in the work area is required following the cessation of these activities. Operating motorized vehicles off designated roads and trails also is prohibited.

Public Education

Advertising campaigns to remind people about fire danger and what they can do to prevent fires are always important.

“We will do basically a lot of education and outreach to help people understand what kind of causes there are of wildfires,” said Robyn Broyles, a spokesperson from the National Interagency Fire Center. “Whatever problems that we see occurring most frequently we’re going to try and do a campaign that targets specific messages so that they can understand.  It’s really a lot of interaction: There are parades that we attend, we do a lot of face-to-face [meetings] and we write reports for travel councils.”

There are also various online information sources like the Arizona Interagency Wildfire Prevention and Information and California State Fire Marshal websites that provide immediate access to guidelines on how to be involved in fire prevention. Residents’ involvement helps by bringing the percentage of human-made fires down to a minimum. Some simple steps residents can be asked to take are:

• Don’t park where vegetation touches the underside of a vehicle. Also be sure chains and other recreational trailer equipment are not dragging or dangling from the truck — these can get hot or create sparks causing not just one but multiple wildfires.
   
• Never leave a burning cigarette on the ground and be aware of all smoking restrictions when recreating on public lands.

• Refrain from welding and using spark-creating machines when dry conditions are high.
   
• Create an area around the building that discourages fire from coming too close. Factors such as slope, vegetation types, planting design and the location of outbuildings affect a wildfire's ability to reach the home.