Tomorrow, May 5th, is wildfire community preparedness day. Nebraska is full of wildland resources and with that comes the hazard of wildland fires. There have been 70 fires from 1/1/2018 to present. Most of them have been in the southeastern and southwestern regions of the state. One of the most recent wildfires happened in McCook, NE at the beginning of March. That wildfire destroyed a home as well as blackened hundreds of acres.
To prepare yourself and others, the Nebraska Forest Service Wildland Fire Protection Program provides a series of services to educate the public on wildland fires. There are also two guides to prepare you for a wildfire in your area. You can find the guides here for Eastern Nebraska and here for Western Nebraska.
If you are ever in an area where there is an ongoing wildfire, here are some supplies you should take with you if you need to evacuate:
- Water and food
- Flashlight
- Weather radio
- Extra batteries
- First aid kit, medications/medical items
- Sanitation and personal hygiene items
- Copies of personal documents
- Cell phone with charger
- Map(s) of the area
- Other essential items that could not be replaced if destroyed
Source: https://www.bereadynebraska.com/preparation-101/natural-disasters/wildfires.html