2019 wildfire season: reflections on being safe

As we enter the summer wildfire season here in the United States, I have been thinking that many say that wildfire season is not just limited to one or two prime wildfire seasons but is indeed year round in many areas. Even if you don't live in an area that is now prone to wildfires year round, it is always a good idea for us to think of how we can be safe. Just as we on the east coast should have an evacuation kit ready to go in the event of a hurricane or tropical storm, those in areas prone to wildfires year round or a part of the year should have an evacuation kit and a place where you will meet up with your family if evacuations are necessary and you are not able to evacuate together. One thing I have learned in the ten plus years I have been writing this blog on aerial wildland firefighting is that one never knows when a wildfire might crop up in your area. So it is good to always be prepared and to be as safe as we can be. I have been thinking about how we can be safe from wildfires recently, and I have some thoughts and reflections I will share. Please be safe.

How about the area around your house? Are fire hazards removed? If not and especially if you live in a wildfire prone area of your state, visit your state wildfire agency and they should have resources to help you. One national program to promote residential wildfire safety is called Firewise USA, and they have a website chock full of information. Another good resource for homeowners is the prevention and education page from The National Interagency Fire Center. Finally, don 't forget to checkout Smokey the Bear's website with a lot of good information for all ages, including a wildfire prevention how-to page.

I live in an area of New Jersey that is at lower risk for wildfires than other areas, so I admit that the area around my house is not completely fire safe. At some point I may pay the price for this, I hope not. But if I lived in the Pine Barrens in central and southern New Jersey or along and near the Kittatiny Ridge as well as areas of the New Jersey Highlands in northern New Jersey, I hope that I would take more care in keeping combustibles away from my home.

Don't throw a cigarette out the window of your car. If it is very dry and you are driving there are a couple of things you can do to prevent wildfires, be cognizant on if a tail pipe under your car might be dragging and if you get a flat, don't drive on the rim

Follow any burn and campfire restrictions, and if it is legal for you to purchase and use fireworks or sparklers please do not do so when it is very dry.. If you are camping and you are allowed to build a campfire, only use a designated fire pit and be sure to fully extinguish the fire, cool to the touch, before you leave.

We all need to heed voluntary and mandatory evacuation orders, whether they be for a wildfire, weather related, or a hazardous spill. I live a couple miles from a freight rail line, you never know. If you want a heads up about coming fire danger, follow your local National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, go here for a national map, and click as close as you can to the area where you live to be taken to your local NWS Weather Forecast Office. The NWS has a nice wildfire safety page with all the information you will need to be prepared, take some time to go to this page and read it. If you read nothing else, read this page on Fire Weather Watches and Red Flag Warnings.

Residents and business owners can help the firefighters by being safe, and following evacuation orders. Clearing combustibles from around your house and using, as required, construction materials that resist flames helps.

Regarding air tankers and helicopters that fly fires, remember that tankers and helicopters can not fly if it is too windy. The exact criteria for winds that will shut down an aircraft depends on the type of aircraft. Further, they may not be able to fly if visibility is too low. Any lightning storm will shut down air operations. The pilots want to help the firefighters on the ground but they also want to be safe. Likewise, wildland firefighters are trained to be safe, I'll write about that in a few days.