National Wildfire Awareness Month dedicates the entire month of May to prevention and preparedness.

While wildfires may not be prevalent in every state, the responsibility to be aware and alert belongs to all of us. The causes of wildfires can occur in every state, and as mobile as our lifestyles have become, we each need to be prepared.

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, humans cause an average of 68% of fires per year in the United States. Of those human-started fires, 2.8 million acres burn each year. In 2018, 8,767,492 acres burned due to human-started and lightning strikes.

There are steps to take to both prevent wildfires and prevent them. From fire-resistant building materials to following the safety protocols for handling fire when camping, heating your home or storing fuel, we can all take part in reducing wildfires.

HOW TO OBSERVE #WildfireAwarenessMonth

Visit the National Interagency Fire Center website to learn more about what you can do to make your property better prepared for a wildfire. Learn more about fire safety and how to take shelter when a wildfire event occurs. Use #WildfireAwarenessMonth to share on social media.

NATIONAL WILDFIRE AWARENESS MONTH HISTORY

National Wildfire Awareness Month has been declared in 10 western states to increase prevention and preparedness for wildfires throughout the country.