NOUS44 KOHX 021031 PNSOHX TNZ006-027-066-030030- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 530 AM CDT WED OCT 2 2013 FIRE WEATHER/FIRE PREVENTION AWARENESS WEEK CONTINUES TODAY WITH A LOOK AT DROUGHT AND ITS EFFECTS ON WILDFIRES. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS...SUCH AS LONG TERM DROUGHT...CAN PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN THE NUMBER AND INTENSITY OF WILDFIRES. THE LACK OF RAINFALL...IN CONJUNCTION WITH VERY WARM TEMPERATURES...ALLOWS FORREST FUELS SUCH AS DEAD LEAVES...TREES...AND BRANCHES TO BECOME UNUSUALLY DRY. THE DRY FOREST FUELS ARE VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR FIRE...ESPECIALLY WHEN DAYTIME RELATIVE HUMIDITIES ARE LOW AND WIND SPEEDS ARE HIGH. DURING THE DROUGHT OF 2007...OVER 3,000 WILDFIRES WERE REPORTED IN TENNESSEE...BURNING OVER 44,000 ACRES. IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE ALERT TO THE INCREASED THREAT OF WILDFIRES DURING DROUGHT CONDITIONS...ESPECIALLY IF YOUR HOME IS IN A FORESTED AREA OR IF YOU PLAN ON VISITING AN AREA FOREST. THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME SAFETY TIPS TO HELP PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY FROM WILDFIRES: 1. CHECK WITH LOCAL FIRE AUTHORITIES OR PUBLIC LAND MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS TO OBTAIN CURRENT FIRE RESTRICTION INFORMATION. 2. CLEAR CAMPFIRE SITES DOWN TO BARE SOIL, CIRCLE THE FIRE PIT WITH ROCKS, AND BUILD THE CAMPFIRE AWAY FROM OVERHANGING BRANCHES...DRY GRASS...PINE NEEDLES...LOGS...AND STEEP SLOPES. 3. NEVER LEAVE A CAMPFIRE UNATTENDED. WHEN PUTTING OUT A CAMPFIRE... DROWN THE FIRE. KEEP A BUCKET OF WATER AND SHOVEL NEARBY. 4. HOMES NEAR FORESTED AREAS SHOULD HAVE TREES AND SHRUBS THINNED AT LEAST 30 FEET FROM BUILDINGS. REMOVE LOWER TREE BRANCHES...ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT MAY OVERHANG THE ROOF. 5. RAKE AND CLEAR SURFACE FUELS...SUCH AS LEAVES...LIMBS AND PINE NEEDLES...AWAY FROM HOMES IN WOODED AREAS. FOR DETAILED INFORMATION ON PROTECTING YOUR HOME FROM WILDFIRES...VISIT THE FIREWISE WEBSITE AT WWW.FIREWISE.ORG OR WWW.BURNSAFETN.ORG. THE TOPIC FOR THURSDAY WILL BE...RED FLAG WARNING - EXTREME FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. && FOR ADDITIONAL FIRE WEATHER INFORMATION...PLEASE GO TO THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE: WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/OHX/FIREWX.PHP. $$ For more information, go to middletnweather.info
Posted on: Wed, 02 Oct 2013 10:33:40 +0000
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