NEW YORK — Air quality levels are approaching normal levels for the New York City area after a cloud of smoke from wildfires in Canada blanketed the tri-state area for the past several days.
Air quality alerts have been extended through Friday night as smoke continues in all three states, albeit at greatly reduced levels compared to the past two days.
However, another wildfire has broken out in New Jersey.
Service New Jersey Wildland Firefighters alerted the public Friday afternoon about a fire in Browns Mills, Burlington County.
At the national level, almost nine out of 10 wildfires are caused by humansaccording to Forest Fire Bureau of the US Department of the Interiorwhich oversees a program that manages 535 million acres of public and tribal lands.
In an effort to spread awareness and safety tips to prevent and mitigate wildfires, the US is recognizing May as National Wildfire Awareness Month.
With wildfires wreaking havoc on the environment and our health, and with summer bringing increased fire risk due to drier, hotter conditions and more outdoor activities (including camping and even 4th of July celebrations) , here are some tips from the Department of the Interior on what we can do to prevent wildfires:
- Check weather and drought conditions as these conditions may affect flammability. Also, according to the Department of the Interior, if it’s hot, dry, and windy, you should avoid any activity that involves fire or sparks, as there is an increased risk of igniting and spreading a fire.
- Build your campfire in an open area and away from flammable materials such as logs, brush, dry leaves and needles and be sure to extinguish it properly. Additionally, the Department of the Interior recommends scraping grass, leaves, and needles down to the ground, as well as staying near your campfire, among other tips.
- Put out your campfire until it’s cold to make sure there are no hot spots or escaping embers. The department suggests dumping a bucket of cold water over the campfire, stirring it, and dumping a second bucket over it. You should check that the fire, once out, is cool to the touch.
- Keep vehicles away from dry grass, this includes not only avoiding driving but parking on dry grass. Because? According to the Department of the Interior, that’s because a vehicle’s exhaust can get incredibly hot, reaching over 1,000 degrees!
- Perform regular maintenance on your equipment and vehicle to prevent vehicles from shooting sparks that could ignite dry grass.
- Practice Vehicle Safety carrying a shovel, bucket and fire extinguisher in his vehicle.
- Check your tires, bearings and axles on your trailer.
- Keep sparks away from dry vegetation.
- Check conditions and regulations before using fireworks or consider safe alternatives.
- Burn debris carefully and never when it is windy or restricted.
Besides, the american red cross it also recommends never throwing used matches or cigarette butts into the environment. Rather, they should be disposed of in a closed container or glass of water. Lighters and matches should also be out of the reach of children.
