Subject matter experts available to answer media questions about wildland fires
Story ideas:
More than 90% of the 44,000 U.S. communities at risk for wildfires do not have a community wildfire protection plan. Unprepared communities risk lives, property and environmental damage, and the enormous economic costs often fall on the shoulders of federal and local governments, according to a Blue Ribbon Panel.
Don’t think a wildfire can happen in your area? Wildfires are more common than you think. This year, wildfires have occurred in: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
How do you save lives and protect properties in areas prone to wildfires? How do you build back stronger and safer after a wildfire? Tips are available here.
How do wildfires impact the environment? Damage to forests, rangelands, watersheds and wildlife.
What is the Blue Ribbon Panel/Summit doing? Representatives to a national Blue Ribbon Panel on Wildland Fires are meeting in Washington, D.C. The Panel assesses preparedness efforts and will report findings, with recommendations and actions, to the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. Department of the Interior. Read the news release.
How much does the federal government spend annually on fighting wildfires? Two billion dollars.
Experts available are:
Director of Wildland Fire Programs, International Code Council
Phone: (888) 422-7233, ext. 6275; Cell: (406) 546-9978.
Deputy Senior Vice President of Government Relations, International Code Council
Phone: (888) 422-7233, ext. 6233; Cell: (817) 715-8881.
Senior Regional Manager of Fire Service Activities, California Field Office,
International Code Council
Phone: (888) 422-7233, ext. 7273; Cell: (661) 472-2100.
