ROLLA, Mo. – Mark Twain National Forest asks visitors to keep fire safety in mind this summer.
File photo
Fire danger is still high!
While rain has fallen across portions of Mark Twain National Forest, allowing the Forest to drop from an “extreme” fire danger level to a “high” fire danger level, conditions are still extremely dry across the southern and western portions of the Forest. Such dry conditions mean wildfires could start easily. Even areas that received recent rain are not immune from wildfires. Rain can appear to quickly rejuvenate fine fuels, like grass; but it takes more than a single rainstorm to bring large trees’ moisture levels back to normal. Even after some rain, it would only take a few hot days to dry out the fine fuels and return to very high or extreme fire danger.
Remember – Only you can prevent forest fires.
Burn bans have been issued by several counties in Missouri. Please comply with county burn bans and do not use campfires in areas where they are restricted.
Regardless of burn ban status, being responsible with campfires is important all year round.
Have a bucket of water to drown your campfire when you are done cooking, before going to sleep for the night, or before leaving your campsite.
Never leave your campfire unattended! If you can use a gas stove instead of a campfire, please consider doing so.
Be a good neighbor to the Forest, your community, local fire departments, and local volunteer fire departments, by calling in reports of smoke or fire to 911.
Calling 911 rather than a Forest Service office will allow faster emergency response, which better protects life and property. Local emergency services will ensure the appropriate resources are dispatched.
The Forest continues to support wildland firefighting at home and across the nation.
Wildland firefighters and equipment are available to respond to fire emergencies that may arise across the Forest. Staffing will be adjusted based on evolving weather conditions and predictive modeling from the National Weather Service. Eight dozers and seven wildland firefighting engines from Mark Twain National Forest are available for wildland fire responses, and five engines from other national forests are also in place to respond as needed.
A balance of maintaining resources on the Forest as well as aiding in the national firefighting effort continues through the Missouri Iowa Interagency Communication Center in Rolla. Mark Twain National Forest and partnering land management agencies have supported national fire-fighting efforts by sending firefighters and equipment from Missouri to Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, California, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska.