Behind the balloon
Last week, Devante Lockamy found himself in Central Park during the early hours of Thanksgiving, teeming with a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation as he embarked on a unique Forest Service holiday tradition. Never in his life did he ever expect to hold the tether of a 51-foot-tall Smokey Bear balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.…
Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, #WildfirePrevention, Thanksgiving, #AdCouncil
Only You
Smokey Bear (USDA Forest Service photo)
It’s been a long drive and an even longer work week, but your spirit lightens at the thought of enjoying a weekend in the great outdoors. As thoughts of work fade away and the wild landscape fills your windshield you notice a slightly faded roadside sign with the familiar bear from your childhood. Smokey Bear is always reminding those driving past, “Only…
#WildfirePrevention, #PrescribedFire, national fire prevention week, #ForestFire
Clearing the ridge: Fire for forest health and resilient communities
Wildfire is driven by three main factors — weather, terrain and fuels. When fighting wildfires, firefighters work to reduce the fuel feeding the fire, either by removing it with heavy equipment, handlines or by making it hard to burn by soaking the fuel with water or retardant.
Adam Dummer,…
#FirePrevention, #PrescribedFire, #WildfirePrevention, #Winter, #ControlledBurn, #WildfireCrisisStrategy
Forest Service professionals prepare for a prescribed burn
This image exemplifies the type of low intensity fire behavior on a prescribed fire that helps protect communities and critical infrastructure and supports forest health. (USDA Photo by Phil Graeve).
Editor’s note: Prescribed fire is one of the many ways the Forest Service is confronting the…
#PrescribedFire, #ControlledBurn, #WildfirePrevention, #WildfireCrisisStrategy
Protecting the Stanislaus Landscape
Part of the National Recreation Trails system, the Pinecrest Lake loop is one of the premiere hiking trails in the state of California and the entry way to the sublime -- Cleo’s Bath. Follow the trail around to the sign for Cleo’s Bath, turn off the main trail and begin your ascent higher into the eastern the Sierra Nevada. (USDA Forest Service Photo by Benjamin Cossel).
For many residents of…
#WildfireCrisisStrategy, #WildfirePrevention, #PrescribedFire, #FirePrevention, #FuelReduction
Wildfires: When Fun Turns to Flames
Humans cause anywhere between 85% and 97% of all reported wildfires. Visitors should be sure to know and understand the daily Fire Danger Rating which indicates the potential for a fire to ignite, spread and require action from wildland firefighters. (USDA Photo by Lance Cheung)
Heavy, dark clouds roll over…