The New Mexico Forestry Division is giving tips on how to reduce human-caused wildfires during a hot and busy wildfire season. Officials say that for decades, prevention strategies have been focused on engineering, enforcement, and education to reduce the risk of ignition.
Prevention Tips
Some prevention tips that the public can follow include:
- Target shooting: Avoid shooting on hot, dry, windy days. Shoot in areas free of dry vegetation, always use soft targets, and avoid shooting rocks or metal.
- Debris burning: Avoid burning on hot, dry, or windy days and check local burn restrictions before igniting. Burn in an area with no vegetation on the ground or overhead, wet nearby trees and shrubs when possible, and never leave a fire unattended.
- Power tools: Power tools can produce sparks. Avoid use during high winds, work in areas surrounded by at least 10 feet of bare soil (no vegetation), and work in the morning when it is cooler and more humid.
- Vehicles and trailers: Never drive or park on tall dry grass. Prevent trailer chains from dragging by shortening or twisting them before securing.
- Campfires: Before leaving your campfire, drown embers with water, stir, and feel with the back of your hand. If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave. Repeat until the fire is completely cool.
- Fireworks: More than 31,000 reported fires are started by fireworks annually. Remember, fireworks are illegal on public lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service.
Original reporting: KOAT Albuquerque — read the source article.
