DON’T BECOME A STATISTIC—

LEARN TO PREVENT WILDFIRES

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Springtime signals the return of warm weather, baseball and wildfires. Each year Michigan experiences 8,000 to 10,000 wildfires, and most of them occur between March and May.

According to Mark Hansen, Michigan State University (MSU) Extension wildfire specialist, most spring wildfires are caused by people raking leaves, throwing them in a pile and lighting a fire.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says that debris burning caused approximately 1/3 of the state’s wildfires in 2004. Other causes were equipment fires, vehicle exhaust, campfires, children, smoking and lightning.

To prevent fires from burning out of control, Hansen recommends taking precautions that include following local burning ordinances. Never burn any debris without a burning permit. Hansen also states that most homeowners greatly underestimate the chances of a burn pile getting out of control.

“It’s not just the flames that people must worry about,” says Hansen. “The small burning embers floating out of the fire – ‘firebrands’ – will also start a fire in nearby vegetation.”

For more fire safety information, visit <www.msue.msu.edu/emergency>. For more information on protecting your home and family from wildfires, pick up a copy of “Protect Your Michigan Home from Wildfire” (MSU Extension bulletin E-2831) at your county Extension office.