CLEVELAND, Ga. — Residents of north Georgia got a first-hand look at how devastating wildfires can be this year. Now, White County Public Safety, the National Fire Protection Association and State Farm will observe the fourth annual Wildfire Community Preparedness Day Saturday, May 6 to help communities prepare for and work together to reduce their risk of wildfire damage.

On that day, White County Public Safety will host Information Day at Ingles, 55 Helen Highway in Cleveland from 10 a.m. until 2p.m. in an effort to bring together people of all ages to explain how to plan and participate in a risk-reduction or wildfire preparedness activity that makes their community a safer place to live.

“Continued drought, hotter temperatures and carelessness are major contributors to the increased wildfire activity we are experiencing in Georgia,” says David Murphy, Public Safety Director of White County. “That’s why White County Public Safety has organized our Information Day at Ingles and are committed to working together with NFPA and State Farm to make our community safer from the threat of wildfire. We believe Preparedness Day is a great way to raise awareness of this important issue. ”

Information Day activities will include:
• Goody bags for adults and kids (while supplies last)
• Visit with Smokey the Bear and see Firefighting Trucks and Equipment
• Sign-up for a Free Firewise Home Inspection

Projects undertaken on Preparedness Day can range from a short time commitment up to an entire day and can be undertaken by individuals or groups. Some actions residents can take to reduce the risk of home and property becoming fuel for a wildfire include:

• Rake and remove pine needles and dry leaves within a minimum of 3 to 5 feet of a home’s foundation. As time permits – continue up to a 30-foot distance around the home. Dispose of collected debris in appropriate trash receptacles.
• Collect downed tree limbs and broken branches and take them to a disposal site.
• Distribute wildfire safety information, like the free Firewise Toolkit, to neighbors or staff a table at a grocery or hardware store (other high-traffic locations work, too) and distribute free Firewise and emergency preparedness materials that can be ordered from the Firewise catalog or from READY.gov.
• Join forces with neighbors and pool your resources to pay for a chipper service to remove slash.
• Help an elderly relative or neighbor enter emergency numbers and the names of close relatives into their cell phones; and in large font post their phone number and street address above their landline so it can easily be seen when providing information to an emergency dispatcher.

You can find additional project ideas and learn more about the national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day event on May 6 by visiting www.wildfireprepday.org.