OLYMPIA – In an effort to reduce human-caused wildfires by spreading prevention messaging and resources along Washington state’s highways, interstates and rural road systems, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has teamed up with none other than the iconic Smokey Bear.
With funding from a United States Forest Service grant, DNR completed a project to wrap 10 fire cache trailers with colorful graphics, QR codes and Smokey Bear’s image to highlight wildfire prevention best practices and additional sources of information. These are custom-fitted mobile workstations and command centers that can be assigned and towed to wildfires around the state, depending on suppression response needs.
“These trailers travel hundreds of miles each year, crisscrossing the state to provide fire suppression personnel with critical resources,” Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove said. “This project gives additional, vibrant visibility to the important prevention measures we all can take to limit human-caused fires.”
The QR codes on the trailers redirect to several different agency webpages and fire safety explainer animation videos. These videos, funded with the same grant from the USFS, were created in partnership with Next Day Animations to help promote awareness of wildfires and how to prevent them, as they grow larger and faster.
The four-part wildfire prevention videos are:
“We’re excited to continue providing our communities with better and more engaging information on how to best prevent human-caused fires,” said George Geissler, Washington State Forester. “We all have the responsibility to protect our homes and businesses from wildfires.”
The federal funding was provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law State Fire Assistance program. DNR was successful in receiving the funding by connecting the agency’s 2021 Forest Action Plan, which specifically identifies the critical need for landscape resilience and community wildfire preparedness.
Because wildfires are becoming more challenging to suppress, all of Washington can be better adapted and prepared to prevent wildland fire by learning what each of us can do to prevent human-caused fires.
