Preventing wildfires is the educational focus today (Fri) at the D-N-R Building on the State Fairgrounds. Regional Fire Prevention Specialist Jeff Jackson says the vast majority of wildfires are human-caused, and one of the biggest problems is people burning debris on days when the wind is too high and humidity is too low. He says those kinds of days are perfect for a fire to get away from you, “and it can get away from you really quick.”
Jackson says any recreational fire over three-by-three feet requires a permit from the D-N-R. After putting the fire out, make sure it’s cold to the touch before leaving.
He advises rural homeowners to create defensible space around their home and other buildings. “Make sure that all the debris is raked out from underneath your decks, leaves are raked out of your gutters, and make sure that your wood isn’t piled up against your house,” Jackson says.
On this Fire Prevention Day at the DNR Building, visitors can climb the fire tower and have their photo taken with Smokey Bear.
More in this interview with MNN’s Bill Werner: