Fire Prevention
Wildfire Prevention
Debris burning is the most common cause of wildfires in Pennsylvania. Check with your township for burn bans and local ordinances on debris burning.
Wildfire prevention is a message brought to people across the country by the well-known figure, Smokey Bear. Detailed information about wildfire prevention as well as materials for kids and educators is on the Smokey Bear website
Red Flag Warning
A Red Flag Warning is a short-term, temporary warning indicating the presence of dangerous combinations of temperature, wind, relative humidity, and fuel conditions which can contribute to the rapid spread of new or existing wildfires.
A Red Flag Warning can be issued at any fire danger level listed below.
Wildfires in Pennsylvania
The greatest danger of wildfires in Pennsylvania occurs during the spring months of March, April, and May, and the autumn months of October and November. In Pennsylvania, 99 percent of all wildfires are caused by people.
Certain conditions are necessary for a wildfire to occur:
An available fuel source, such as dried grass or leaves
Dry conditions, including low relative humidity
An ignition source -- some way for the fire to start
The first two factors occur most frequently in Pennsylvania during spring and autumn. As the spring sun climbs higher in the sky, days become longer and warmer.
The trees are bare during this time, allowing sunlight to reach the forest floor, warming the ground, and drying surface fuels.
Coupled with strong and dry spring winds, this leads to a tremendous amount of combustible fuels.
During autumn, leaves turn color and begin to fall, accumulating in a deep, fluffy layer that creates a fire hazard.
The third factor, an ignition source, also frequently occurs during these periods.
Reducing the Risks of Wildfire
Census figures for the first decades of the 21st century show more people in the Northeastern U.S. moving from suburban to rural areas to make their home near or within the forest.
Firefighters call the area where homes and development meet and intermingle with undeveloped forests the “wildland-urban interface.”
More than half of all wildfire ignitions in Pennsylvania occur within the wildland-urban interface.
People moving into the wildland urban interface often make choices that increase the potential for their homes to be destroyed by wildfire. With more people there is increased risk of fires caused by:
Debris burning
Equipment use
Power lines
Campfires