Park Hosts Community Wildfire Preparedness Meeting

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, in partnership with Americorps and FireWise, will host a Community Wildfire Preparedness meeting on Wednesday, July 13, 2016 at 6 p.m. at the Oconaluftee Administrative Building adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, N.C. Park Fire Information Officer Katie Corrigan will discuss wildland fire management practices and present an overview of recent wildfires in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

More wildfires occurred this spring than previous seasons due to dry weather. Meeting participants will learn how to be “FireWise” including how to adapt to living in wildfire-prone areas and how to best prepare homes for wildfire threats. Presenters will discuss how to work together to improve safety, protect themselves, and reduce the risk of wildfires. Statistics indicate that many wildfires are human caused. This educational opportunity provides knowledge to help prevent wildfires both in the park and in nearby communities.

The Oconaluftee Administrative Building is located at 1194 Newfound Gap Road near Cherokee, N.C. To learn more about wildfire programs in the park, please visit the park website at www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/nature/wildlandfire.htm.