Southern Wildfire Firefighters Pause For Safety

Firefighters in 13 southern states will participate in a special Fire Safety Awareness Day on Wednesday, May 17th. The day will start with a moment of silence for those firefighters who have lost their lives this year, followed by a 10-minute stand-down for safety.

More than 29,000 wildfires have burned more than 2 million acres across the southern United States this year, claiming at least two dozen lives. In Virginia, three firefighters sustained injuries, according to information from the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF). Virginia has had 1,074 wildfires burn 11,704 acres to date.

Fire Safety Awareness Day coincides with Virginia’s annual Wildland Fire Training Academy. On May 17th, more than 400 firefighters attending the academy will participate in the moment of silence.

“ We are asking Virginia firefighters to take a pause for safety on May 17th to make sure they are focused on safety fundamentals,” said John Miller, VDOF director of resource protection. “We have an awesome responsibility to protect public safety as well as our valuable natural resources, but one life lost to wildfire is one too many.”

For additional information on wildland fire safety, visit the Virginia Department of Forestry’s Web site at http://www.dof.virginia.gov.