Each year, millions of acres of land are scorched and burnt to the ground by ravaging wildfires and the truth is, there is nothing that you or I can do to put a stop to it. Wild fires are a necessary, vital, and overall beneficial part of nature and nature is without mercy.

The harsh reality is that human invasion of forestlands combined with prolonged drought conditions and a lack of public land maintenance funds create the perfect storm for wildfires.

All it takes is one lightening bolt; A single cigarette butt dropped in dry grass;

A controlled burn that gets away when the wind turns or a mower blade that strikes a rock and ignites a dry lawn. Any one of these small actions is all it takes to birth a raging, out of control fire. While the level of risk varies seasonally and from state-to-state, it remains important for everyone to know what to do when a wildfire threaten. To protect your property and your family, you have to prepare.

Step 1 is to create a fire-resistant property.

You must:

• Use fire-resistant building materials
• Reduce anything that will fuel a fire in the wild land around your home
• Employ only fire-resistant plant material in your home’s landscape

Step 2 is to prepare and implement a functional and specific emergency plan. To do so you must:

• Map your escape route and all possible emergency exits
• Have everybody put together a basic bug-out kit, with special kits for pets and children.
• Add a car kit where it’s feasible for you.
• Make sure everyone has a role during a wildfire crisis and understands it
• Practice emergency procedures including what to do if trapped at home, at school, in the open or in the car

The best defense against a wildfire is a good offense. This includes actively preventing wildfires from happening as well as ensuring that you aren’t the cause of one. Whenever you pull out a match to light a candle or a campfire, remember Smokey the Bear’s motto: “Only you can prevent forest fires.”

For more useful information on fire safety and disaster survival methods visit www.Survival- Life.com To connect with other preparedness minded individuals and receive timely survival reports like this each month, join Survival Life’s Lamplighter Society. And remember: “We’re All In This Together”