News & Updates

Late Summer Fire Prevention Tips

Susy Alkaitis - August 13, 2019
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In 2018 there were 58,083 wildfires burning 8.8 million acres according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The USDA Forest Service reports that 9 out of 10 fires are caused by humans.

As much of North America enters a late summer with high temperatures, Leave No Trace offers the following three tips to prevent wildfires:

  1. Use a camp stove for cooking. Stoves are easier to cook on and can create fewer impacts than fire.
  2. If you want a campfire, be sure it’s permitted and safe to build a fire in the area you’re visiting. Use existing fire rings to protect the ground from heat. Keep your fire small.
  3. Burn all wood completely to ash and be sure the fire is completely out and cold before you leave the campfire. For more information check out this video:

In addition to wildfire risk increasing in the summer, many parts of the country are experiencing more lightning storms. Lightning strikes the United States about 25 million times a year. Although most lightning occurs in the summer, people can be struck at any time of year.

Lightning kills an average of 47 people in the United States each year, and hundreds more are severely injured according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Leave No Trace always recommends checking the weather or better yet, a weather app, before and during (if you are lucky enough to have service, to remain up to date on weather changes) spending time outdoors.

Let’s protect and enjoy our natural world together

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