Help Stop Wildfires!

A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, grass fire, hill fire, vegetation fire, and wild land fire may be used to describe the same phenomenon depending on the type of vegetation being burned. A wildfire differs from other fires by its extensive size, the speed at which it can spread out from its original source, its potential to change direction unexpectedly, and its ability to jump gaps such as roads, rivers and fire breaks. Wildfires are characterized in terms of the cause of ignition, their physical properties such as speed of propagation, the combustible material present, and the effect of weather on the fire.

Many fires occur in spring and early summer when human activity increases. Grass burning and spring cleanup fires occasionally escape control and result in wildfires. When summer arrives, the number of people in the woods increases and as they travel, recreationalists can accidentally cause fires.

Careless use of campfires is one of the leading causes of forest fires. When building a campfire, select your campsite carefully. Prepare your campfire by removing all leaves, twigs and other flammable material from the area. Choose a proper fire pit or make a ring of rocks at least three meters from trees, shrubs, structures and debris. Don't leave a campfire unattended, and do keep a pail of water close by at all times. Be certain your campfire is completely extinguished before you go to bed or leave the area. Pour water on the fire and douse the site thoroughly. Stir the campfire until there are no embers and the ashes are cold to the touch.

The number of escaped fires resulting from backyard burning can be reduced by adhering to safe burning practices. People doing backyard burning must have hand tools, water and enough people on hand to keep the fire in check. Fires must not be lit or allowed to continue to burn when the wind is strong enough to cause sparks to be carried to other combustible material or when a notice banning or restricting the use of open fire is in effect.

Please remember to be safe and use the above tips when camping or burning!

Don’t let your forest end up like this:

Dead forest.jpg