Combatting wildfire season Published Aug. 29, 2013 By Senior Airman Jette Carr 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Vacation, to me, is a time of rest and relaxation while surrounded by those you love, not preparing for a possible evacuation while worrying over friends and family members threatened by a wall of fire. However, when I went home to Utah in August, this was part of my holiday experience as the Rockport fire decimated the area. Visible from my childhood home, helicopters and planes dropped water and retardant on a rampant inferno. Though the fire was roughly a mile away, we were relatively safe pending the direction of the wind, with a road sitting squarely between the fire and our residence. Others were not so lucky as 28 structures burned across the 1,920 acres. Though this particular fire was an act of nature, born from a lightning strike on a hillside, it had me wondering just how many wildfires are the accidental creations of people, and are therefore preventable. According to National Geographic, out of every five wildfires, four are brought into being by human error and not Mother Nature. With a little more caution and some fire safety education, perhaps hundreds of thousands of acres of land would remain scorch-free each year. At Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., steps to prevent wildfires have already been taken, such as controlled burns on Melrose Air Force Range, N.M. To take it one step further, Airmen receive annual fire safety training; but it never hurts to delve a little deeper. Many fire safety aspects don't only have to be applied while camping in the forest, but can be used on a day to day basis at home. Some simple safety tips from the Federal Emergency Management Agency include: · Clear a 10-foot area around propane tanks and the barbecue. Place a screen over the grill - use nonflammable material with mesh no thicker than one-quarter inch. · Remove vines from the walls of the home. · Place stove, fireplace and grill ashes in a metal bucket, soak in water for two days; then bury the cold ashes in mineral soil. · Stack firewood at least 100 feet away, and uphill from your home. Clear combustible material within 20 feet. Use only wood-burning devices evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory. · Rake leaves, dead limbs and twigs. Clear all flammable vegetation. As a state that is going through a drought, the Land of Enchantment may be more susceptible to a fire mishap now more than ever. This is why it is important to learn and practice good fire safety. Like Smokey the Bear said, "Only YOU can prevent forest fires."