Message supports community wildfire risk reduction projects
May 2, 2015 – The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) today announced a Presidential Message was signed by President Obama in honor of national National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day on May 2, 2015. The message signals national support of wildfire safety awareness and preparedness for communities living in high-risk areas.
Every year, wildfires burn across the U.S. and more and more people are living where wildfires are a real risk. Nearly 45 million homes abut or intermingle with grasslands, forests and wildlands, and more than 72,000 U.S. communities are threatened by fire. The combination of drought, mild temperatures, high winds and an excess of dried vegetation in forests and grasslands has made fire seasons progressively worse over the past 50 years. According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), 2014 saw nearly 64,000 wildfires burn more than 3.5 million acres.
The national Preparedness Day event gives people of all ages a chance to participate in a risk reduction or wildfire preparedness activity that makes their community a safer place to live. Preparedness Day is co-sponsored by NFPA, State Farm® and Fire Adapted Communities.
National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) America’s PrepareAthon!, a grassroots campaign for action to get people better prepared for emergencies through group discussions, drills and exercises.
For more information about national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day, visit www.wildfireprepday.org.
About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building, and life safety. The mission of the international nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education. NFPA develops more than 300 codes and standards to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other hazards. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed at no cost at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.