By Charles Grisafi, Office of Response and Restoration Disaster Preparedness Program
Wildfires can happen anywhere and anytime, as we’ve seen with recent wildfires across the country, from the Florida Everglades to the coast of California. A wildfire is an unplanned fire often caused by humans or lightning, that starts to burn in a natural area, with risk increasing in periods of little rain and high winds. Though the Office of Response and Restoration does not respond to wildfires, it’s critical that both OR&R and the National Ocean Service are prepared for the threats that wildfires can pose to our mission critical operations and personnel.