HUD Archives: Wildfires in Alaska: Are you prepared?

"The best time to fix a leaky roof," you've probably heard it said, "is when the sun is shining." Well, the best time to protect you, your loved ones and your property from wildfires is before fires break out. And that means now.

According to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, there were more than 63,600 wildland fires in the United States in 2014. In Alaska, there were 384, consuming some 233,000 acres. And 2015 is already on pace to be as active or, even, more active a year for wildfires.

As the temperatures rise in the spring and remain warm until early fall, forests and brush land dry and stay that way. All that's needed then is a lightning strike, a tossed cigarette, a spark from a car or a embers from a poorly-extinguished campfire for a wildfire to start and spread rapidly and widely. Whether more or less than the year before, you can count on the risk of wildfires breaking out this year.

That means that if you have a home where the urban meets the wild you, your family and your property better be ready. Are you? To help, below you'll find links to some useful information to make sure you are. And, of course, what to do should a fire starts near where you live.

Prepare and Prevent

What To Do Before, During and After a Wildfire – Federal Emergency Management Agency (http://m.fema.gov/wildfires)
What do you need to prepare for wildfires? Alaska Department of Forestry - Wildland Fire Guide (http://forestry.alaska.gov/pdfs/Alaska_Wildland_Fire_Guide_2013.pdf)
Building a 7-Day Emergency Kit-Alaska Department of Homeland Services & Emergency Management Guide (www.ak-prepared.com/outreach/Documents/Alaska%207-day%20Emergency%20Kit.pdf)
Is Your Home Insured? – Alaska Division of Insurance (http://commerce.state.ak.us/dnn/ins/wildfires.aspx)
Making Your Home FIREWISE & wildfire safe (www.firewise.org/wildfire-preparedness/video/for-the-general-public.aspx?sso=0)
Become an Alaskan Firewise Community (http://forestry.alaska.gov/fire/firewise.htm)
Alaska Emergency Response Guide for Small Communities– Alaska Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (http://ready.alaska.gov/SEOC/Documents/Alaska%20
Emergency%20Response%20Guide%20for%20Small%20Communities%202014%20Final.pdf).

Stay in Touch

Alaska Disaster Updates - Alaska Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (http://update.ready.alaska.gov)
Check the Fire Weather Center - Alaska Interagency Coordinating Center (http://fire.ak.blm.gov/predsvcs/weather.php)
Track current fire activity in your area at InciWeb (http://inciweb.nwcg.gov) or on Twitter (https://twitter.com/inciweb)
Stay informed with Alaska Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Management on Twitter (https://twitter.com/alaskadhsem)

And Remember

If you spot a potential wildfire, call 9-1-1 and contact (800) 552-7766. Your and your community's future may depend on it.

For the latest in wildfire protection and prevention: National Interagency Fire Center in Boise (www.nifc.gov/prevEdu/prevEdu_main.html).