Looking at the history of forest fires, it appears it was and it still is inevitable. According to a previous publication by mnn.com, "The Great Chicago Fire, which destroyed about a third of the city's valuation at the time and left more than 100,000 residents homeless stole the headlines."
Another fire event that was catastrophic was the 'Great Peshtigo Fire' that occurred 139 years ago. It was the worst recorded forest fire in North American history. According to the historical records provided by expressmilwaukee.com, "1,152 people dead, as the towns of Peshtigo and Brussels obliterated, and a scorched swath of the forest 10 miles wide and 40 miles long." That was the effect of the 'Great Peshtigo Fire'. Forest fires should not be taken lightly, nor the power of nature to cripple everything on its path. When it comes to preventing forest fires, it requires collaborative effort from everyone. To prevent homes from being burned, preventive measures can help.
Here are some of the do's and don'ts in relation to fire prevention and safety as given by Zillow.
- One tip is to not get in the way. "Don't get in the way of firefighters means that parking the car to observe a fire is not ideal. It could prevent the easy access and travel of the fire equipment or fire personnel.
- Another tip is not sending a drone to take a picture of the fire. This may seem like a small thing, but this summer drones have proven to be a hazard for helicopters trying to fight fires.
- Another significant tip is not abandoning campfires. Forest fires occur due to nature and man's negligence. The U.S. Forest Service regularly finds abandoned campsites with fires that haven't been completely extinguished.
These may be small preventive measures, but the even the smallest things can propel change.
