USDA Forest Service mobilizes Interagency Fire Prevention and Education Team on Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland

In preparation for the Independence Day holiday, high fire danger, and increased public visitation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service has mobilized an Interagency Fire Prevention and Education Team on the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland (MBRTB).

The team arrived on Tues., June 28, 2022, and consists of Florida Forest Service and USDA Forest Service personnel. They specialize in fire prevention activities to increase fire awareness and reduce human-caused wildfires.

While fire restrictions are not currently in place or warranted, most areas of the MBRTB remain in drought of varying levels of intensity. These conditions are compounded by low fuel moisture levels and high volumes of visitors, including the Rainbow Family gathering in Routt Co., Colo. Risk of human-caused fire is very high when combined with existing weather and fuel conditions.

The team’s primary objective is to educate the public by providing wildfire prevention resources in coordination with state and local entities. The team will focus on:

• Learn Before You Burn
  • Check for campfire restrictions
  • If fire is allowed, make sure it is dead out before leaving.
• Do not park in dry grass. Hot exhaust pipes and mufflers can start a fire you won’t even see.

Further information on wildfire prevention is available online.

Additional information about the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland can be found on our website. Information is also available on social media: @FS_MBRTB on Twitter or @FSMBRTB on Facebook.

Story by United States Forest Service