A National Fire Prevention Education Team (NFPET) is in place in the Phoenix area to address the most frequent types of human-caused wildfire ignitions affecting Arizona and New Mexico. The team is comprised of professionals from federal, state, and local agencies and will focus on public outreach to traditional, social, and non-traditional media markets, in addition to developing communication materials for local agencies to use during future periods of
elevated fire danger. New outreach strategies will be implemented by the incoming team, working with partners from both states.
“Our team will be reaching out to state and regional representatives to discuss wildfire issues directly affecting their jurisdictions,” said NFPET Team Leader, Gwen Beavans. “We will look at challenges as well as successes in order to develop comprehensive strategies to reach residents and visitors of Arizona and New Mexico.”
The Southwest is experiencing extremely high temperatures with little precipitation, leaving vegetation very susceptible to ignitions. Residents and visitors are urged to take precautions to prevent human-caused wildfires
Human-caused ignitions are responsible for most wildfires in the Southwest. Vehicle and campfire-related fires, OHV off-road use, and recreational target shooting contribute to many of the human-caused ignitions. The team continues the work of two previous teams that worked in Arizona and New Mexico, respectively, to expand the public’s awareness of the importance of wildfire prevention during this hot and dry season.
“The team can accomplish necessary prevention work in a short period of time and provide outreach support for local resources that may be committed to wildfire response,” adds Beavans. Research indicates that for every $1 invested in wildfire prevention education efforts, it saves $35 in wildfire suppression costs and losses. An ounce of wildfire prevention can reduce loss of life and property, reduce the cost of fire suppression, protect forest resources, and help build community relationships. Visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/34905 to learn more.
For all public and media inquiries regarding NFPET, please contact (602) 428-5397. Follow us on Facebook: https://bit.ly/nfpetfacebook
Photo of the National Fire Prevention Education Team.