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Outdoor Fire Safety

Unintentional actions are the leading cause of outside fires. Community residents need to keep fire safety in mind when enjoying summer vacations, camping, family reunions, grilling and the Fourth of July.

Did you know:

Sparklers can reach 1,200 degrees F and cause third-degree burns.

Protect people, pets and property from wildfire handout

Wildfire safety outreach

Awareness and prevention materials to share with your community to help them prepare to live close to nature and become safer from wildland urban interface fires.

View wildfire materials

2 New Apps Can Raise Wildfire Risk Awareness in Your Community

The U.S. Fire Administration has developed 2 new tools you can use to improve prevention messaging in your community. The 2 tools are the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Fire Property Awareness Explorer and the WUI Fire Community Awareness Explorer. They provide the initial data-informed basis for residents to “Know Where You Live” in proximity to the location of the WUI and fire-prone areas.

Raising awareness is the first step and serves as the starting point for residents to take action in preparing for and mitigating wildfire loss.

WUI Fire Property Awareness Explorer Application

WUI Fire Property Awareness Explorer Application

This application allows users to search addresses or communities to gain a contextual understanding of their area relative to the WUI and vegetative fuels. The application also includes an assessment of a location's structure density and proximity - important factors to consider for creating fire-adapted communities in the WUI and for developing mitigation plans and outreach campaigns.

Launch application

WUI Fire Community Awareness Explorer

WUI Fire Community Awareness Explorer

This dashboard provides a quick snapshot of counties or places in the US and potential exposure to wildfire hazards for structures in the WUI. Users interested in building fire-adapted communities and resilience can quickly identify vulnerable structures or areas in the WUI to help inform community risk reduction planning and targeted outreach efforts.

Launch dashboard

Disclaimer: These tools do not measure or convey risk. Rather, they are designed to raise awareness about the location of the wildland-urban interface (WUI) and the potential susceptibility to fire in areas relative to wildfire hazard exposure. The parameters for the WUI visualized within these tools represent examples informed by available research and data but should not be construed as requirements or absolute values. Users of these tools should consider whether seasonal, temporal, spatial, topographical and climatological conditions could influence the results of their assessments and consider making any necessary modifications to suit their particular needs.
Help your community to prevent outdoor fires. Share these safety tips to keep residents fire safe while enjoying outside activities.

Messages to share

Click to copy message.

Grill fire safety

Only use propane, charcoal and wood pellet barbecue grills outside. Indoor use can cause a fire or carbon monoxide poisoning.
Place your grill well away from siding and deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.
Keep a 3-foot safe zone around your grill. This will keep kids and pets safe.
Open your gas grill before lighting.
Keep an eye on your grill. Don’t walk away from it when it is lit.
Clean your grill after each use. This will remove grease that can start a fire.
Place the coals from your grill in a metal can with a lid once they have cooled.
Do not store or use a grill on a porch or balcony.

Fire pits, campfires, chimneys and outdoor fireplaces

Build campfires at least 25 feet away from tents, shrubs and anything that can burn.
Use chimneys, outdoor fireplaces and fire pits outdoors at least 10 feet away from your home or anything that can burn.
Closely watch children when the fire pit is in use.
Use a metal screen over wood-burning fires to keep sparks from floating out
Turn off or put out fires before you leave the backyard.
Store matches and lighters out of children’s sight and reach.

Fireworks

Fireworks are dangerous to people and pets. Using them puts your property at risk.
The best way to stay safe from fireworks is to not use them. Instead, attend a public fireworks display put on by professionals.

Social media graphics and stock photos

social media card: attend public fireworks displays

Pictographs

Pictographs can help overcome literacy barriers by communicating messages with pictures. Our pictographs will help you to communicate fire safety messages to high-risk populations.

keep grills 3 feet from surroundings
keep grills 3 feet from surroundings
keep grills 3 feet from surroundings

Handouts

summer safety tips flyer

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grilling fire safety flyer

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Videos

https://www.youtube.com/embed/v2k6rNOCrz4