By FireRescue1 Staff
QUINCY, Mass. — Twenty-three percent of all fires reported to local fire departments over a four-year period were wildfires, according a new study.
The NFPA report released Wednesday says local fire departments responded to an average of almost 1,000 brush, grass and forest fires per day between 2004 and 2008.
Human activity is cited as the main cause of most of the fires.
“Many of these fires could be prevented by following basic precautions,” said Marty Ahrens, manager of NPFA’s Fire Analysis and Research.
“Tossing cigarettes on the ground, burning trash and ignoring fire bans are a recipe for disaster, especially during long stretches of dry weather.”
Of the 1,000 fires in the study, one of every five brush, grass or forest fires was intentionally set. Although 74 percent of these fires burned less than an acre, almost 5,000 buildings became involved in these fires over the five-year study period.
Regionally, the region with the highest rate of fires was the South at 54 percent of the total. Fire departments in the West had the lowest rate of fires per 1,000 square miles, partly because many of the large wildfires occur on lands owned by federal or state government and are not protected by local departments as first responders.
Based on the findings, the NFPA encouraged increased community wildfire education, especially to help property owners reduce chances of wildfire.
The report said programs such as NFPA’s Firewise Communities help minimize the risk of domestic activity igniting a wildfire and communities need to work with local fire departments to prevent unnecessary fires.
“Many of these fires are threatening private property and could be avoided,” said Michele Steinberg, manager of the NFPA Firewise Communities program.
“Homes and other structures do not have to burn; this property does not have to be lost,” Steinberg said.