May is National Wildfire Prevention Month

While New York State has a relatively low risk of wildfires, for much of southern and western parts of the US, wildfires and the resulting smoke is a serious issue. According to the the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), these human-caused wildfires accounts for 87 percent of all wildfire occurrences each year, and there are several simple things to do to help prevent them.

RocHealthData hosts an interesting and timely set of related national data: current wildfires and wildfire smoke. These data, provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the NIFC, are updated on a daily basis. Previously created maps containing these layers will be current as of the day they are viewed. See today’s national data in the RocHealthData map room.