Tag Archive: Wildfire Prevention

Take Action! May is Wildfire Awareness Month

Take Action! May is Wildfire Awareness Month

May 1, 2021 - May 1, 2021 is Wildfire Community Preparedness Day and the entire month of May is considered National Wildfire Awareness Month. The Virginia Department of Forestry is joining in to dedicate May to prevention and preparedness.  Prevention and suppression of wildfires is a key part of the Virginia Department of Forestry’s (DOF) mission; the agency achieves this through education, as well as responding to and suppressing wildfires.  DOF responders suppress more... Read More

Field Notes: Fire Season is Coming - Be Prepared!

Field Notes: Fire Season is Coming – Be Prepared!

February 11, 2021 - By Heather Tuck, DOF Eastern Region Fire Specialist Happy February! As we move into this month, my mind, along with many others at Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF), turns to preparing for the upcoming spring fire season. It may not look like it outside (there are five inches of glorious snow outside my window right now), but we are quickly approaching fire season in Virginia. As a fire program specialist,... Read More

DOF Employee Earns 2018 National Smokey Bear Award

DOF Employee Earns 2018 National Smokey Bear Award

May 23, 2018 - The 2018 National Smokey Bear Awards were recently announced and Fred Turck (wildfire prevention program manager), along with other prevention specialists from the Mid-Atlantic Forest Fire Compact, were awarded the highest honor, the Gold Smokey. This award program is sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters and the Ad Council. Since 1957 this prestigious award program has recognized organizations and individuals for outstanding service of at least... Read More

Virginia Department of Forestry Warns of Increased Fire Danger

Virginia Department of Forestry Warns of Increased Fire Danger

April 11, 2018 - In response to weather forecasts for Thursday, April 12, the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) urges people to help prevent wildfires by postponing open-air fires until conditions improve. The combination of strong winds, increased temperatures and low humidity will create extremely dangerous fire weather conditions Thursday. Fire Weather Watches have already been posted by the National Weather Service (NWS) covering northern and western Virginia for Thursday afternoon. Temperatures are expected... Read More

DOF Responds to Hundreds of Wind-Related Fires

DOF Responds to Hundreds of Wind-Related Fires

March 5, 2018 - Spring wildfire season, which began February 15, is in full swing and the high winds that raged across Virginia since Thursday only made conditions more dangerous. Governor Northam declared a State of Emergency Friday afternoon as a result of extreme weather conditions which resulted in hundreds of wildfires throughout the Commonwealth. Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) firefighters have responded to fires in the counties of Albemarle, Amherst, Amelia, Appomattox, Bedford,... Read More