Wildfires Are A Year-Round Concern
Wildfires are not unique to the U.S.A.
Traditionally wildfires were a consideration during the dry summer months. This type of thinking is no longer valid.
Recent wildfires in Australia Central and South America, the Congo, Europe, and Asia demonstrate this is a worldwide problem.
Staggering Video Shows How Much of Earth Was Actually on Fire in 2019
Sometimes you need to see the bigger picture to understand the scale of a problem. A new visualization from the Copernicus program in Europe has done exactly that, showing how wildfires have been worsening around the world.
Copernicus
https://www.sciencealert.com/this-alarming-video-shows-everywhere-the-world-was-burning-in-2019
What can be done about it?
I will not dive into the Global Warming waters nor will I touch upon the Theological implications.
Below is educational and actionable information that you can review and act on.
If you live in an at-risk area, take steps to protect yourself, your family and loved ones from the dangers of Wildfires.
Nightlong exposure photograph of the Santa Clarita wildfire in CA. The Santa Clarita Valley mountains have drawn firefighters and emergency crews in the hills toward Acton. So far, the fire has burned 38,346 acres.
Facts + Statistics: Wildfires
As many as 90 percent of wildland fires in the United States are caused by people, according to the U.S. Department of Interior. Some human-caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, downed power lines, negligently discarded cigarettes and intentional acts of arson. The remaining 10 percent are started by lightning or lava.
https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-wildfires]\
A year round fire season?
There was a time when fire season for Western states meant only certain months out of the year. Not so long ago the U.S. Forest Service considered it primarily a summer problem with a few regions breaking the trend in early spring and late fall.
But climate change, according to most wildland fire experts, has turned fire season into a year-round issue.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/year-round-fire-season
U.S. Wildfire Model
Record losses of $13B across California
2017 was a catastrophic year for wildfires across the United States, particularly in the Napa/Sonoma area and in Southern California. Over 10 million acres burned in total, and countless lives and property were lost. Unlike other natural hazards which may not occur every year, wildfire damage is expected annually—the only questions are where and to what extent.
https://www.corelogic.com/products/us-wildfire-model.aspx
Justin Lewis / Getty Image
How to protect your home from wildfire disasters
In 2017, Verisk’s Wildfire Risk Analysis found that 4.5 million homes in the U.S. were designated as being at high or extreme risk of being impacted by wildfire. Over the last ten years alone, the number of acreage burned in the United States has almost doubled.
https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/homeowners-insurance/wildfires/
Fire prevention and public education
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) develops and delivers fire prevention and safety education programs in partnership with other federal agencies, the fire and emergency response community, the media, and safety interest groups. We also work with the public and private groups to promote and improve fire prevention and life safety through research, testing, and evaluation.
https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/
Preparing homes for wildfire
Research around home destruction vs. home survival in wildfires point to embers and small flames as the main way that the majority of homes ignite in wildfires. Embers are burning pieces of airborne wood and/or vegetation that can be carried more than a mile through the wind can cause spot fires and ignite homes, debris and other objects.
There are methods for homeowners to prepare their homes to withstand ember attacks and minimize the likelihood of flames or surface fire touching the home or any attachments. Experiments, models and post-fire studies have shown homes ignite due to the condition of the home and everything around it, up to 200’ from the foundation. This is called the Home Ignition Zone (HIZ).
https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Preparing-homes-for-wildfire
Wildfire risk reduction steps that can make your home safer during a wildfire.
FirewiseHowToPrepareYourHomeForWildfires
FirewiseHowToPrepareYourHomeForWildfiresSpanish
Additional materials for your review:
Receiving timely information about weather conditions or other emergency events can make all the difference in knowing when to take action to be safe.
This is a must-read for everybody.
How to Prepare for a Wildfire explains how to protect yourself and your property, and details the steps to take now so that you can act quickly when you, your home, or your business is in danger.
Till next time
“Be Safe”
Share this with your family, friends, and co-workers who you know will benefit from the information.
If you want more information or think something can be added to this. Let me know.
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