What you can do
Volunteer
Volunteers make up an incredibly important part of everyday life, especially for those who live in areas that are in danger of severe wildfires. Whether it be to fight the fires directly or indirectly, volunteering is one of the most effective and rewarding ways to make a difference. Keeping parks clean and safe through the National Park Service or actually volunteering to be a firefighter at your local fire station or even through the U.S. Forest Service itself are all great ways to start!
Campaign
The single biggest difference in the long term of what happens to the forests and the environment will be determined by the policies enacted now and in the near future. Campaigning for candidates that support environmentally friendly policies and taking preventative measures against wildfires is a great step in the fight against these disasters. Find local, state, and national candidates and contact them to find out the best ways to support their campaigns!
Donate
Many of the nation services responsible for keeping forests healthy and safe are underfunded, as are the firefighting services engaged in putting out the infernos. At the end of the day, money is what keeps these services able to keep functioning, so donating whatever you can to support them is instrumental in ensuring the survival of our nation’s forests. Charity Navigator should be the first place you look!
Practice
“Practice what?” you might ask. Practice Leave-no-trace techniques! These are explored in great detail here, but can be summed by its motto “Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints.” Our forests are precious and sensitive so we need to be careful and maintain responsibility while we are exploring them!