National and local-level wildfire information for the 2013 US fire season.
Map src: http://google.org/crisismap/2013-us-wildfires.
Fire season is once again upon us and as always it is important to be prepared. This year has already been a very active year for wildfires in the United States and Canada. You can view the Fire Report here. NBC News reported, “Fire conditions in southern California are at levels we have not seen in many, many years,” California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Director Ken Pimlott said Monday. “That is the case across all of California.” The Laist reported that this could be the worst fire season for Southern California in 100 years.
However, California isn’t the only state to experience these devastating fires. The National Interagency Fire Center of Boise, Idaho reported their prediction for July thru October and parts of Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Southern Utah, Arizona, NM and Colorado have all had extremely dry conditions and are at risk of big fires. As summer moves into August, most of California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Nevada will still be at risk of potentially big fires.
Red Cross offers some helpful tips on Wildfire Preparedness. An example of some of the things you can do to prepare is making sure you have easy access to emergency phone numbers, keep a water source outside your home, like a small pool or a pond. There is also a supply list in case you need to evacuate, as well as tips on how to respond during and recover after a wildfire. It’s better to be safe than sorry if you live in a fire zone.
You can find your local fire house here.