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With Earlier, Longer Wildfire Seasons, Preparedness Is Critical
The prevalence and intensity of wildfires has increased in the U.S. Find out why plus how to best prepare your team.Byline: BTB Editor
September 5, 2024 / Time to read: 5 minIn 2023, U.S. wildfires burned over
So what exactly sparked this wildfire growth? A lot of it has to do with timing. Keep reading to learn more about the history of wildfires in the U.S., why wildfires burn bigger and earlier and how to put a preparedness plan in place.
The History of Wildfires in the U.S.
Wildfires aren’t new, but they’ve ramped up in the last few decades. Case in point: The 10 years with the largest U.S. acreage burned all occurred in the last two decades, with the most damage occurring in 2015 and 2020, according to the
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Wildfires have not only grown in size and prevalence, but they also burn sooner than ever before.
Why Wildfires Burn Bigger, Brighter and Earlier
A mix of climate change, human activities and natural factors lead to wildfires. More specifically,
- Reduced snow
- Earlier snowmelt
- Warmer springs
- Longer summer dry seasons
- Drier soils, grass and other vegetation
- Stronger winds that carry fires farther, faster
As temperatures continue to climb and water availability continues to decrease, we’re projected to face longer,
Putting a Wildfire Preparedness Plan in Place
Wildfires can’t exactly be avoided and usually don’t come with advanced notice (like in the case of a controlled burn). That’s why it’s crucial to develop and stick to an ironclad preparedness plan. Consider the following when crafting yours.
Select the right provider
While the U.S. government
You don’t need to wait for a wildfire to call in the pros. By choosing the right response provider, you can customize an emergency response plan and explore ways to protect your property and your business as a whole.
Assess and understand risk
Wildfire risks likely don’t come as a surprise. But taking the time to understand and analyze your location and property can help you better manage your risk. And with wildfire seasons starting earlier and lasting longer, it’s critical that you’re prepared all year round.
Keep track
You can find tons of
Response and Recovery
With more than 30 years of emergency response experience under our belts, Republic Services has the expertise and full-service solutions to support customers affected by wildfires. Take, for instance, the Thomas Fire that burned nearly 282,000 acres across Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties in 2017. Our emergency response crews worked non-stop for seven weeks, removing more than 400,000 pounds of household hazardous waste (HHW) and 2,000 tons of asbestos-containing material from a total of 988 structures damaged by the fire.
Our dedicated crews help customers prepare for and recover from wildfires by:
- Customizing emergency response solutions for specific use cases, such as remote locations and railways
- Designing specialty fire suppression equipment — such as sprinkler kits for bridges — to protect infrastructure
- Using forecasting technology to track the development of all major wildfires and supplying water and resources before fires push through
- Working closely with regulators to provide compliant management, assessment and removal of hazardous material, asbestos-containing material, ash and other debris
- Acting swiftly with a 24/7 emergency response hotline and nationwide coverage from 500+ emergency response locations
- Responding with a team of trained and experienced firefighters and the right equipment, including fire truck units; customized UTV units; small, medium, and large fire trailers with pumps, hoses, foam, water storage and gear; remote-controlled sprinkler and fire suppression units; firefighting trains; and more
- Serving as a single-source solution for wildfire response and hazardous material disposal
- Minimizing the environmental and operational impact of wildfires and cleanup
- Continually strategizing and developing new equipment and solutions to help protect against wildfire damage
While wildfires burn earlier and cause more damage than they have in the past, government agencies, private organizations and local communities can work together to help protect people, wildlife, property and infrastructure.
At Republic Services, we’re committed to educating our customers about wildfire preparedness and implementing effective proactive measures, so they can be back up and running as soon as possible.
If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you prepare for and repair from wildfires, you can visit our
