A Guide to Fire Season: Everything to Know

“Fire season” is a term you may have heard before, but what exactly does it mean, and how do you prepare for it? We spoke to two experts in the field, Megan Fitzgerald-McGowan, a wildfire program specialist at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and Amy Masi, a public affairs officer with the U.S. Forest Service, to find out what fire season is, when it happens, and what you can do to protect yourself.

What Is “Fire Season”?

Fire season is the time of year when fire activity is most predominant. It generally encompasses the hottest, driest months of a region when humidity is low, and the brush is dying and drying out. In areas with seasonal winds, this is an extra dangerous season as the wind can drastically increase the speed at which a spark catches and a fire grows.

When is Fire Season?

Fitzgerald-McGowan explains fire season occurs at various times regionally due to factors like moisture patterns and elevation. Some regions experience a spring and a fall, while others follow the typical summer.

Fire seasons are also growing longer. Areas that have a summer fire season “used to call spring and fall ‘shoulder seasons,’ but we’re starting to see those shrink as the burn window extends with drought, higher temperatures, etc.,” Fitzgerald-McGowan says.

According to Masi, states like Arizona and New Mexico generally see fire season from February to July, while states further east, like Kentucky and Tennessee, have fire season in the fall months. However, some places technically have a fire season year-round. California, for example, has a hot and dry climate in most of the state. So, while the end of April to late October is typically the peak of fire season there, Masi recommends that residents practice fire safety at all times. Especially this year, which has been a record-breaking year in her district.

Fitzgerald-McGowan recommends checking your state’s natural resources or forestry organization’s website and the local fire department to get the most accurate information possible.

How To Prepare for Fire Evacuations

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Evacuation orders can sometimes come quickly. It’s a good idea to be prepared ahead of time so you and your family can get out safely.

Make Sure You Make an Evacuation Plan

Masi stresses the importance of having an evacuation plan, including these factors:

• Decide on your evacuation group. Which family and friends live with your or close by? Once you know who your group is, select a designated spot outside of your neighborhood to meet up with them, especially because cell towers may be compromised in large fires.
• Signing up for local alert systems like Genasys Protect and Ready Kern is a good idea. This way, you can stay up to date with the evacuation orders and monitor any other advice the agencies are giving out.

Fitzgerald-McGowan also recommends paying attention to local weather forecasts: “If they say red flag warning or red flag conditions, consider that a notice to be on high alert.” This way you’ll be able to move more quickly if the evacuation order goes out.

Have Your Go-Bag Ready

A go-bag is a bag of important items that you’ll need to save from a fire. You may not have time to grab everything and pack it all when an evacuation order is announced, so keeping the bag ready and handy is important.

When it comes to a go-bag, Masi says many people forget about their important paperwork. Fire safes will protect your documents up to a point, but they can still fail in hot enough blazes. If you’re opposed to keeping the originals in your go-bag, which should be in or near your car for easy access, then make copies of all the important paperwork (e.g., insurance, ID cards, marriage license, house deed, sentimental photos etc.).

Masi also suggests packing your prescription medications and spare phone chargers in your go-bag. Food and water are also good ideas. How much to keep on hand depends on where you live and how much space you have.

If you’re worried about forgetting things for your go-bag, Fitzgerald-McGowan suggests using checklists like the ones from the National Fire Protection Association or the Tahoe Fire Adapted Communities Create a Go-Bag.

Keep Air Quality in Mind

Smoke can travel surprisingly far even if you don’t live right in the thick of the blaze. If you can’t leave the area, air purifiers and masks like N95s are a great idea to help reduce your exposure. Your local air control board will likely have information on hand to help you protect your lungs. Fitzgerald-McGowan suggests Smoke Ready CA, saying even though “it’s a California website, many of their resources are applicable to other [states].”

How Can You Prepare for Fire Season

There’s a lot of good advice out there to help you prepare for fire season. Fitzgerald-McGowan recommends following the NFPA guide so you can “be a part of the wildfire solution by taking steps to reduce the chance of your home igniting from embers or surface fire.”

The most important thing you can do is be proactive in your protection. “Fire whirls and fire tornadoes are real,” Masi cautions. Fires can be unpredictable, so the best thing you can do is make your house an “easy save.” An “easy save” is a home that does not have many fire hazards near it and can be quickly doused by the firefighters. The more “easy saves” there are in a neighborhood, the better the outcome overall.

To make your home an “easy save,” Masi suggests you:

• Create a defensible space around your home. This means, to the best of your ability, a 100-ft barrier in front of your house devoid of flammable stuff. So, clean your gutters, trim overhanging branches, keep your wood pile away from your home, and especially within 30 feet of your home, keep the hazards to zero.
• Reduce the hazardous fuel around your home, even beyond the barrier. Look around and see where you’re storing flammable materials and ensure you’re keeping up with yard work.
• Take some time to do home hardening. This will vary depending on your available resources, but do the best you can to opt for building and renovating with fire-resistant materials. For example, Masi recently swapped out her wooden decks for Trex, which is much more fire-resistant.
• Keep the weather in mind. Under no circumstances should you use power equipment during heatwave or wind. The likelihood of creating sparks that can catch is far too high.

About the Experts

• Megan Fitzgerald-McGowan is a wildfire program specialist at the National Fire Protection Association.
• Amy Masi is the Acting Public Affairs Officer and Partnership Coordinator for Kern River Ranger District as well as a Public Affairs Officer for the U.S. Forest Service.