Extreme Drought in the West: PREPARE FOR AND SURVIVE A WILDFIRE
Of all natural disasters, wildfires are among the most dangerous. They can spring up quickly and spread very fast.
The United States averages over 73,000 wildfires every year. They cause 2 billion dollars worth of damage annually. Over 7 million acres are burned annually. They kill over 340,000 people worldwide each year.
All fires start small. All fires go out. Eventually. What is key is what happens in between.
A wildfire is an unplanned, unwanted fire. They can be caused naturally, usually by lightning. However, most are human-initiated, either by campfires, cigarettes, broken power lines, outdoor burning that gets out of control or arson.
They can occur any time throughout the year. The potential is greatest during periods of drought. High winds make a wildfire very dangerous and unpredictable. They can move very fast!
Make sure you know what your local wildfire alert system is. Normally, alerts are broadcast to all cell phones within range. However, because wildfires are unpredictable and can shift quickly depending on winds, be proactive in tracking any wildfire. There are several maps that indicate threat levels. Here is a page that collects several.
