Jul 3, 2024 · Wildfires are increasing around the globe in frequency, severity and duration, heightening the need to understand the health effects of wildfire exposure. The risk of wildfires grows in extremely dry conditions, such as drought, heat waves and during high winds.

Jan 6, 2025 · The LA Wildfires. This past week, huge swaths of metro Los Angeles have been devastated by wildfires fueled by parched vegetation and hurricane force winds. The images and videos of once vibrant neighborhoods reduced to smoldering ash are, in a word, horrifying.

Keeping safe from wildfires is a joint effort of individuals, communities and relevant authorities, including the health sector. Prolonged heat exposure can exacerbate existing conditions. It is important that the following interventions are available for at-risk people to access: early information on wildfire hazards, including weather forecasts;

Jan 15, 2025 · An NFPA wildfire expert answers frequently asked questions on the historic 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.

Jun 6, 2024 · How wildfires start. There are two main buckets to categorize how a wildfire starts: natural and human caused. Naturally caused wildfires Lightning is the primary agent for naturally caused fires. (There are some instances of volcanic activity starting wildfires, but that is limited.)

Aug 12, 2021 · How wildfires can affect your health Close to the fires, smoke is a health risk because vegetation fires generate toxic gaseous and particle air pollutants. The effects of smoke range from eye and respiratory tract irritation to more serious disorders, including reduced lung function, bronchitis, exacerbated asthma and premature death.

Wildfire Community Preparedness Day—commonly shortened to Wildfire Prep Day—focuses on what you can do in and around your home to help protect against the threat of wildfires. The annual event, which is organized by NFPA and sponsored by State Farm, takes place on the first Saturday in May.

NFPA's wildfire expert shares her observations about LA's devastating wildfires and what needs to happen next.

NFPA is the world’s leading resource on fire, electrical, and related hazards. NFPA is a self-funded nonprofit dedicated to eliminating loss through knowledge.

Feb 9, 2023 · This free, self-paced course is available to anyone interested in understanding how wildfires spread to buildings and the steps they can take to prevent ignition and destruction. Participants can select each element of a building—roof, windows, siding, vents—to get a complete view of how fire can affect it, and what changes can be made to ...