Wildfire Threat for Pacific Northwest ─ Follow these Safety Steps

In the U.S., wildfires are becoming more frequent and aggressive due to the worsening climate crisis. In the last 40 years, the number of acres burned by wildfires has more than tripled.

This week, extreme heat combined with gusting winds and low humidity is leaving people in the Pacific Northwest facing a significant potential for wildfires. People cause as many as 85% of wildfires and the American Red Cross urges people to help prevent any fires in the area.

WILDFIRE PREVENTION Sadly, people cause wildfires by burning debris, using equipment improperly, discarding cigarettes carelessly, leaving campfires unattended or intentionally setting a fire. To help prevent wildfires, follow these critical tips:

• Don’t drive your vehicle onto dry grass or brush. Hot components under your vehicle can spark fires.

• Use equipment responsibly. Lawn mowers, chain saws, tractors and trimmers can all spark a wildfire.

• Use caution any time you use fire. Dispose of charcoal briquettes and fireplace ashes properly, never leave any outdoor fire unattended, and make sure that outdoor fires are fully extinguished before leaving the area.

• If residential debris burning is allowed — use caution. After obtaining any necessary permits, ensure that burning is not currently restricted in your area.

• Store combustible or flammable materials in approved safety containers away from the house.

HOW TO GET READY Wildfires can flare up quickly, leaving people very little time to evacuate. Follow these steps to help make sure your family is prepared to either evacuate or shelter in place.

• Create an evacuation plan. Plan what to do in case you are separated from your family during an emergency and if you have to evacuate. Coordinate your plan with your child’s school, your work and your community’s emergency plans. Plan multiple routes to local shelters, register family members with special medical needs as required and make plans for pets. If you already have an emergency plan, update and it and review with family members so everyone knows what to do if an emergency occurs.

• Build an emergency kit with a gallon of water per person, per day, non-perishable food, a flashlight, battery-powered radio, first aid kit, medications, supplies for an infant and pets if applicable, a multi-purpose tool, personal hygiene items, copies of important papers, cell phone chargers, extra cash, blankets, maps of the area and emergency contact information. Because of the pandemic, include a mask for everyone in your household. If you already have a disaster kit, now is the time make sure the food and water is still okay to consume and that copies of important documents are up to date.

• Be informed. Find out how local officials will contact you during a wildfire emergency and how you will get important information, such as evacuation orders.

  WILDFIRE SAFETY

  A wildfire can leave you little time to get to safety. 

• Back your car into the garage or park it outside, facing the direction of your evacuation route. 

• Keep your pets in one room, so you can find them if you need to evacuate quickly. 

• Limit exposure to smoke and dust. Keep indoor air clean by closing windows and doors to prevent outside smoke from getting in. 

• Do not use anything that burns, such as candles, fireplaces, and gas stoves. 

If you are trapped outdoors, crouch in a pond, river, or pool. If there is no body of water, look for shelter in a cleared area or among a bed of rocks. Lie flat, face-down and cover your body with soil. Breathe the air close to the ground to avoid scorching your lungs or inhaling smoke. 

Download the free Red Cross First Aid app so you’ll know what to do if emergency help is delayed and the free Emergency app for weather alerts, open Red Cross shelter locations and safety steps for different emergencies. Choose whether you want to view the content in English or Spanish with an easy-to-find language selector. Find these and all of the Red Cross apps in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.