Governor Sean Parnell has proclaimed May 3-9 Alaska Wildland Fire Prevention and Preparedness Week.
In the short Alaskan spring this far, 68 fires have burned 144.2 acres in the state, most of them were caused by human activity.
The Department of Forestry released this PSA to make people more aware.
PSA: “Hi I’m Gilbert with Alaska Division of Forestry’s Whitemount Fire Crew. In Alaska wildfires can originate from debris burns, off-road vehicles, target shooting, and camp fires. The majority of human caused fires can be prevented, please be careful with all outdoor activities that could accidentally spark a fire. Firefighters, equipment, and aircraft are limited and need to respond to non-preventable fires. Please help us keep everyone safe by preventing human caused wildfires.”
Information Officer Maggie Hess with the Department said that although Alaska sees more human caused wildfires, naturally caused fires actually burn more area.
