(COURTESY OF NIFC)
CBS2 reports the National Interagency Fire Center upgraded Wednesday to Preparedness Level 5 for the earliest time in 10 years.
Preparedness Level 5 is the highest level of wildland fire activity. NIFC made the decision due to “significant fire activity occurring in multiple geographical areas, an increase in incident management team mobilization, and heavy shared resources commitment to large fires nationally.”
This is the earliest Preparedness Level 5 has been activated in the past 10 years. In 2002, it was set on June 21 and in 2008, it was set on July 1.
“Given the continuing hot and dry weather, the increase in initial attack and large fires in the western U.S., the decision to move to PL 5 depicts the complexity that fire managers are encountering to ensure that adequate firefighting resources are available for protection of life, property and our nation’s natural resources,” NIFC said.
For more information, visit the NIFC website.
