Monday, May 15, 2006
More than 27,000 wildfires have already burned almost 250,000 acres across the southern United States this year, claiming at least two dozen lives. This has moved the National Park Service to join with other state and federal wildland fire agencies in the south to call for a special Firefighter Safety Awareness Day on May 17th.
According to state and federal wildland fire officials, the pace of this fire season has been of historic proportions across the entire southern U. S. Record wildfires have destroyed many homes and businesses in Texas and Oklahoma and other southern states.
Florida has had 2,200 wildfires burn 44,000 acres to date this year. Hurricane debris from the past two years has resulted in a major increase in fire intensity and decreased ability to quickly control fires in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
Significant drought conditions continue in Texas and Oklahoma as well as along the entire Gulf coast and Florida. Another extreme drought pocket covers much of Virginia and North Carolina.
As bad as the winter and spring of 2006 have been to date, the potential exists for Conditions to get even worse, according to the National Weather Service.
2006 has seen an unprecedented loss of life and serious injuries to local, state and federal agency firefighters as well as civilians. At least six firefighters in the Southern Area have perished and eighteen civilians died as a direct result of wildland fire-related accidents. . Accidents caused by wildfires have also resulted in serious injuries and loss of equipment.
Firefighters in all of the 13 southern states will participate in the special Fire Safety Awareness Day on Wednesday, May 17th. The day will start with a moment of silence for those firefighters who have lost their lives this year, followed by a 10 minute stand-down for safety.
“We are asking National Park Service firefighters to take a pause for safety on May 17th to make sure they are focused on safety fundamentals,” Karen Gustin, Big Cypress National Preserve superintendent said. “We have an awesome responsibility to protect public safety as well as our valuable natural resources, but one life lost to wildfire is one too many.”
For additional information on wildland fire safety visit: The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) Safety and Health Working Team site at: http://www.nwcg.gov/teams/shwt/index2.htm.
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