May is Wildfire Awareness Month
Boise, Idaho – Idaho Governor Brad Little today proclaimed May to be Wildfire Awareness Month, calling on all Idahoans to prepare for the threat wildfire represents to families and communities.
With fire season quickly approaching, there’s no better time for all Idahoans to learn about protecting their homes, families and property from the effects of wildfire.
The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) is doing its part in getting the fire prevention word out by participating in many wildfire preparedness events across the state. Additionally, the agency’s website offers detailed information about fire prevention, defensible space strategies, and wildfire preparedness.
“Educating the public about what actions they can take to reduce unwanted human caused fires and increase their wildfire resilience is a top priority,” says the Idaho Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller.
“Once started, fires don’t recognize fence lines or jurisdictional boundaries,” said Miller. “Fire will race across the landscape without regard for what lies in its path. This is why it’s critical for folks to do their part to prevent unwanted human-caused fires and prepare for fire in advance.”
Increasing the survivability of homes and property in areas prone to wildfire requires coordinated education and collaborative mitigation efforts. IDL has partnered with Idaho Firewise, a non-profit dedicated to helping Idahoans make their homes and landscaping fire resilient.
According to the Idaho Firewise Executive Director, Ivy Dickinson, creating defensible space around homes and utilizing fire-resistant landscape design principles should be a high priority for all who live in Idaho.
“Defensible space is the area between a structure and the wildland area that, under normal conditions, creates a buffer to slow or halt the spread of wildfire to a structure,” said Dickinson. “It can help protect a home from igniting due to direct flame, windborne embers or radiant heat.”
Wildfires also impact or threaten many of Idaho’s pristine and treasured recreational spots. As a member of the Recreate Responsibly Idaho coalition, IDL helps remind the public how to be good stewards.
“We want the legacy of our natural resources to last for many generations and that takes all of us to be personally responsible for fire safety this summer,” concluded Miller.
Follow IDL and Idaho Firewise on social media every day in May for additional resources on how you can help prevent wildland fires.
Idaho Firewise:
Idaho Firewise works to coordinate, support, and promote wildland fire education to increase the public’s understanding of the role of wildfire in Idaho’s ecosystems while reducing risk to communities. Idaho Firewise serves as an essential resource for city, county, state, and federal agencies, tribes, fire departments, and communities across Idaho, working towards a common goal of reducing the loss of lives and property to wildland fire. The organization has established several educational demonstration gardens that highlight fire-resistant landscaping design principles and plant species that allow residents in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) area to employ strategies to live there more safely.
Links to additional items:
Wildland Fire Prevention Month Proclamation
Video and photos of today’s signing ceremony
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