Pennsylvania Fire Weather Awareness Week

ðŸ”¥ Pennsylvania's Fire Weather Awareness Week is held in March each year. Follow #WildfireSafetyPA on Facebook, X, and Instagram for fire weather information from the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) offices that serve Pennsylvania, PA Emergency Management Agency, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' Bureau of Forestry, U.S. Forest Service Allegheny National Forest, and Pennsylvania Game Commission. ðŸ”¥

Check out the Fire Weather Awareness Week segments from Weather World at Penn State University

Fire Agencies in Pennsylvania

The Science of Fire

Wildfire Communication

Wildfire Safety

Other Information

PA Bureau of Forestry

Did you know that the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has a Bureau of Forestry? They protect 17 million acres of public & private wildlands from wildfire damage. Visit the PA DCNR Wildfire page for more information!

www.dcnr.pa.gov/Communities/Wildfire/Pages/default.aspx

Allegheny National Forest (US Forest Service)

Allegheny National Forest is the only National Forest in PA! The Allegheny Fire Program manages prescribed fires - and even some wildfires - to benefit natural resources and reduce the risk of unwanted wildfires in the future.

Learn more about ANF: www.fs.usda.gov/main/allegheny/about-forest/about-area

National Weather Service

Forecasters at the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) complete fire weather forecasts, including posting statements when conditions for wildfire spread become a threat to life and property in their local service areas. Offices also complete and monitor spot forecasts for local prescribed burns in order to give more detailed information directly to partner agencies.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

The Pennsylvania Game Commission completes prescribed burns on State Game Lands and lands enrolled in the Hunter Access Program. These prescribed burns help restore wildlands across the Commonwealth. Learn more about the PGC's Prescribed Fire Program at: https://www.pgc.pa.gov/Wildlife/HabitatManagement/Pages/PrescribedFire.aspx

Benefits of Fire

ðŸ‘Wildfires can be dangerous when they spread rapidly, but they provide many benefits to forests.

ðŸ»ðŸ”¥Learn about how fire affects fire-dependent ecosystems from Smokey Bear: https://smokeybear.com/en/about-wildland-fire/benefits-of-fire/fire-in-nature/fire-dependent-ecosystem-with-periodic-fire

Wildfire Causes in Pennsylvania

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, humans have caused 98.9% of all wildfires in Pennsylvania since 2002!

âš¡ï¸ Lightning accounted for only 1.1% of wildfires

ðŸ”¥ The rest are the result of humans

ðŸ™‹ Only YOU can prevent wildfires!

ðŸ”¥ What Causes Wildfires? ðŸ”¥

Dry vegetation (grass, brush, etc.) can be ignited by a spark (lightning, campfires, burning brush, etc.) to create fire. Drought dries out fuels; strong winds & low humidity help fires spread!

Elements of Fire: https://smokeybear.com/en/about-wildland-fire/fire-science/elements-of-fire

Prescribed Burns

In order to reduce catastrophic damage from ðŸ”¥, local fire experts complete prescribed burns under specified weather conditions.

ðŸŒ³ Prescribed burns help restore health to our local ecosystems.

ðŸ»Learn more from Smokey Bear: https://smokeybear.com/en/about-wildland-fire/benefits-of-fire/prescribed-fires

Fire Weather Watches and Red Flag Warnings

A combination of low relative humidity, gusty winds, and dry fuel moistures outline critical fire weather conditions. In these situations, Fire Weather Watches or Red Flag Warnings can be issued to outline these conditions.

Special Weather Statements (SPS) for Fire Weather

A Special Weather Statement can be issued by your local National Weather Service office when there is an elevated risk of wildfire spread in Pennsylvania, but conditions do not warrant a Watch or Warning. On days when these are issued, ðŸ”¥, when ignited, can spread rapidly.

Fire Danger Maps

Fire danger maps are released by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources during fire season to outline when there is an enhanced risk of wildfire ignition and spread.

Before you burn, check the forecast Fire Danger for your area at www.weather.gov/ctp/FireWeather or www.dcnr.pa.gov/Communities/Wildfire/Pages/default.aspx!

Campfire Safety

ðŸ•ï¸Got plans to go camping this year? Want to make s'mores under the stars?

ðŸ”¥Building a campfire is a big responsibility!

âš ï¸Learn how to pick your spot, prepare the pit, build, maintain, & extinguish your campfire from Smokey Bear here: https://smokeybear.com/en/prevention-how-tos/campfire-safety

Debris Burning Safety

Debris burning is the leading cause of wildfires in PA! A careless person burning trash or yard waste can be responsible for causing wildfires that burn thousands of acres of valuable Pennsylvania forests.

ðŸ“šLearn Before You BurnðŸ”¥: https://smokeybear.com/en/prevention-how-tos/backyard-debris-burning

Cigarette Safety

Other common causes of wildfire in Pennsylvania include:

ðŸš¬Smoking

ðŸš—Vehicles

ðŸšœ Outdoor Equipment

This spring, do all you can to prevent sparking a wildfire!

And always remember to #HoldOnToYourButtsðŸš¬.

Fire Towers

ðŸŒ³ How many fire towers are located in Pennsylvania? If you guessed 37, you would be correct! These towers are used to lookout for smoke/wildfires in local forests. Do you know where the closest fire tower is to you? Find out at this StoryMap: https://dcnr.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapTour/index.html?appid=ef806e4ec39f4accb2355309e1a35c60!

Wildland Firefighters

ðŸš’ PA wildland firefighters are trained & qualified to serve on organized incident management teams or wildland crews. Since 1973, over 200 crews from PA have assisted with fire and disaster relief throughout the country.

Learn more here: https://elibrary.dcnr.pa.gov/GetDocument?docId=4021642&DocName=Wildland%20Fire%20Crew%20Factsheet%202021.pdf

NWS Fire Weather Page

ðŸ”¥Before you burn debris or start a campfire, visit www.weather.gov/ctp/fireweather!

ðŸ‘€You can access Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Fire Danger maps, U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts, fuel moisture information, Storm Prediction Center Fire Weather Outlooks, weather observations, and more.

Smokey Bear

This concludes Fire Weather Awareness Week for Pennsylvania. Want more information? Visit https://smokeybear.com for more ðŸ”¥ safety content all-year long!