Be Prepared!

ANCHORAGE - It's that time again. Summer. Picnics and parades, barbecues and baseball, long hikes on rugged trails or a cool dip in a mountain lake. Lots of ways and long days to have lots of fun.

But take care. Lots of it.

As temperatures rise and the land dries-out, it's also time again for wildfires. That has Vicki Christiansen worried. She began her career in 1980 as a wildland firefighter for the state's Department of Natural Resources. Today she heads the U.S. Forest Service. From the ground up and the top down she's aware of the damage wildfires can do. And this year, she recently told National Public Radio (www.npr.org/2019/06/05/729720938/1-billion-acres-at-risk-for-catastrophic-wildfires-u-s-forest-service-warns), that "a billion acres of land across America are at risk of catastrophic wildfires."

Hundreds of thousands of those at-risk acres likely will be in Alaska which saw 367 wildfires consume 410,683 acres in 2018 (www.predictiveservices.nifc.gov/intelligence/2018_statssumm/fires_acres18.pdf). This year could be worse. Although the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise says the wildfire season is off to a "slower start" (www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tx-hMHxEw8) in the Lower 48 numerous fires already are being fought in Alaska (https://akfireinfo.com) and, going forward, the Center's June Fire Potential Outlook (www.predictiveservices.nifc.gov/outlooks/monthly_seasonal_outlook.pdf) forecasts higher-than-average fire activity in large sections of the state in June, July, August and September.

That's plenty to be worried about, but, even more so, it's plenty of reason to make sure you're prepared if, thanks to Mother Nature or, as much frequently is the case, human negligence or error puts you and yours at risk.

Below you'll find a set of links to organizations that can help you prepare for the season ahead and to monitor fire activity in real time. Just as the best time to fix a roof is when the sun is shining, the best time to prepare for wildfires is before the air gets smoky and the flames are just a ridge or two away:

Prepare & Prevent

• Alaska Wildland Fire Guide from the Alaska Wildland Fire Coordination Group (http://forestry.alaska.gov/Assets/pdfs/fire/assignments/2016%20Alaska%20Wildland%20Fire%20Guide.pdf)
• How to Make Your Home FIREWISE (www.firewise.org/wildfire-preparedness/video/for-the-general-public.aspx) - Video with steps to reduce risks posed by wildfires
• Ready.gov (www.ready.gov/wildfires)- What to Do Before, During & After a Wildfire
• How to Prepare for a Wildfire (www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1409003859391-0e8ad1ed42c129f11fbc23d008d1ee85/how_to_prepare_wildfire_033014_508.pdf)- Federal Emergency Management Agency
• A primer on Wildland Fire Insurance (www.iii.org/article/insurance-for-wildfires) - Insurance Information Institute

Stay in Touch

• Alaska Wildland Fire News from the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center (https://akfireinfo.com)
• Wildfire updates from Alaska Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management on Twitter (https://twitter.com/AlaskaDHSEM) & Facebook (www.facebook.com/readyalaska)
• Track current wildland fire activity in your area at InciWeb (http://inciweb.nwcg.gov).
• Wildland Fire Assessment Mapping System (www.wfas.net).

Recovery & Rebuilding

• Wildfires & Air Quality from Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (http://dec.alaska.gov/Applications/Air/airtoolsweb/Advisories)
• Wildfire recovery assistance available from American Red Cross (www.redcross.org/about-us/our-work/disaster-relief/wildfire-relief.html)
• Recovery assistance available from FEMA if President declares a major disaster from Alaska Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management. (www.ready.alaska.gov/Recovery)
• Recovery assistance available from HUD if President declares a major disaster.

A Reminder
And remember. An ounce of preparation is worth well more than a waterlogged pile of charred rubble left behind by a wildland fire. Be smart. Be safe. BE PREPARED.

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