Raging forest fires continue to plague the United States. As of August 26, 88 massive fires have occurred in the U.S and only two have been contained. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, on average 70,000 forest fires occur per year because of climate change. A large percentage of these forest fires occur in California with an astonishing number of 10,431 forest fires that occurred last year in 2020 out of the 59,362 forest fires that happened in the United States.

 Alarmingly, ninety percent of the forest fires started due to human activity and were preventable. For instance, according to CNN, 29 percent of human made forest fires result from debris burning, 11 percent of fires result from machinery use, five percent result from campfires, and the remaining fires result from carelessness associated with use of fireworks on special occasions. The natural environment can also lead to forest fires- lightning and spontaneous combustion of vegetation and dry leaves.

 A way to prevent the aforementioned forest fire scenarios is the following: balancing a forest’s ecology, burning an excess of vegetation to maintain nature’s balance, and continuing various organizations’ campaign efforts to reduce humans from starting forest fires. One of the leading organizations is Smokey Bear. It promotes prevention of forest fires, campfire safety, equipment use and fire maintenance. Smokey Bear educates the following on how wildfires are preventable and manageable: “Lookouts are stationed in towers in remote areas or during times of heavy lightning to observe, plot and report locations of fires.” 

Another organization at the forefront of wildfire prevention is the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. It informs citizens on forest fire management. The organization elucidates: “Forest management is the application of scientific and technical principles by a certified professional in order to meet specific goals. It takes many forms, but usually involves periodic treatments or practices which are done to change forest conditions; on average fires that burn an average of 500 acres of woodland per year are fought by firefighters.” Guided by this information, forest fires can be curtailed.

Overall, forest fires have been an ongoing dilemma in the United States that have gradually worsened. However, with the aid of Smokey the Bear, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and similar organizations, forest fires can be limited, contained and averted in some cases. Moreover, with the help of Smokey Bear, the public consciousness has been raised and enlightened on how to properly and safely start a campfire. As well, Smokey the Bear provides guidance on handling inadvertent campfires.

Similarly, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has spread vital forest fire information to the mainstream in fending off forest fires. In short, despite myriad forest fires in the United States, many citizens and organizations are doing their part in preventing and curtailing forest fires. With continued public efforts and dissemination of information by Smokey the Bear and analogous organizations on fire prevention and protection, the number of forest fires may dwindle.