[BNAWX] Public Information Statement

[EMWIN Server]

AXUS44 KOHX 061304
PNSBNA
TNZ005>011-022>034-056>066-075-077>080-093>095-070103-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
804 AM CDT WED OCT 6 2004

FIRE WEATHER/FIRE PREVENTION AWARENESS WEEK CONTINUES TODAY
WITH A LOOK AT DROUGHT AND ITS EFFECTS ON WILDFIRES.

CLIMATIC CONDITIONS...SUCH AS LONG TERM DROUGHT...PLAY A MAJOR ROLE
IN THE NUMBER AND INTENSITY OF WILDFIRES.  DURING THE SUMMER AND FALL
OF 2000 AND 2001...TENNESSEE...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...AND
SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA EXPERIENCED PROLONGED DRY CONDITIONS.  THE
LACK OF RAINFALL...IN CONJUNCTION WITH VERY WARM TEMPERATURES...
ALLOWED THE FOREST FUELS...SUCH AS DEAD LEAVES...TREES AND
BRANCHES...TO BECOME UNUSUALLY DRY.

THE DRY FOREST FUELS WERE VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR
FIRE...ESPECIALLY WHEN DAYTIME RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WERE LOW
AND WIND SPEEDS WERE HIGH.  THE NUMBER OF WILDFIRES REPORTED
DURING THE YEARS 2000 AND 2001 WERE UNUSUALLY HIGH WITH A LARGE
NUMBER OF ACRES BURNED.  DURING 2000 AND 2001...AROUND 2,800
WILDLAND FIRES WERE REPORTED EACH YEAR ACROSS TENNESSEE WITH
84,000 AND 68,000 ACRES BURNED...RESPECTIVELY.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE ALERT TO THE INCREASED THREAT OF WILDFIRES
DURING DROUGHT CONDITIONS...ESPECIALLY THOSE WHOSE HOME IS IN A
FORESTED AREA...OR THOSE WHO PLAN ON VISITING AREA FORESTS.  THE
FOLLOWING ARE SOME SAFETY TIPS TO HELP PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY FROM
WILDFIRES:

1. CHECK WITH LOCAL FIRE AUTHORITIES OR PUBLIC LAND MANAGEMENT
   OFFICIALS TO OBTAIN CURRENT FIRE RESTRICTION INFORMATION.

2. CAMPFIRES...CLEAR THE CAMPFIRE SITE DOWN TO BARE SOIL;
   CIRCLE THE FIRE PIT WITH ROCKS; BUILD THE CAMPFIRE AWAY FROM
   OVERHANGING BRANCHES...DRY GRASS...PINE NEEDLES...LOGS AND
   STEEP SLOPES.

3. NEVER LEAVE A CAMPFIRE UNATTENDED.  WHEN PUTTING OUT A CAMPFIRE...
   DROWN THE FIRE.  KEEP A BUCKET OF WATER AND SHOVEL NEARBY.

4. HOMES NEAR FOREST AREAS SHOULD HAVE TREES THINNED 100 FEET
   FROM BUILDINGS.  REMOVE LOWER TREE BRANCHES...ESPECIALLY THOSE
   THAT MAY OVERHANG THE ROOF.

5. RAKE AND CLEAR SURFACE FUELS...SUCH AS LEAVES...LIMBS AND
   PINE NEEDLES...AWAY FROM HOMES IN WOODED AREAS.  FOR DETAILED
   INFORMATION ON PROTECTING YOUR HOME FROM WILDFIRES VISIT THE
   FIREWISE WEBSITE AT WWW.FIREWISE.ORG.

THE NEXT TOPIC DURING FIRE WEATHER/FIRE PREVENTION WEEK WILL
BE...RED FLAG WARNING - EXTREME FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

FOR ADDITIONAL FIRE WEATHER INFORMATION...PLEASE GO TO THE FOLLOWING
WEBSITE: WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/OHX/FIREWX.HTM.

$$

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