As of May 18, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation reported that 29 American fire service personnel and 21 EMS personnel have succumbed to the pandemic after line-of-duty exposure to COVID-19. Those numbers will ​surely increase as our nation and the world continue to battle this microscopic threat. The more we responders can do to limit unnecessary contact with sources of infection, the better off we’ll all be.

It is with that in mind that fire prevention should be considered integral to the control of this deadly disease. As we move out of National Wildfire Awareness Month, into June, and then on to fireworks season, we need to further educate the public about natural fuels and fires that are started, intentionally or negligently, as a result of human behavior. Citizens need to know there is an increasingly broader context to the notion of wildland-urban interface (WUI), as developers continue building entire neighborhoods at the edges of forested areas that may border densely populated cities, suburbs and exurbs.

Departments across the state should advise homeowners to be mindful of weather conditions, burning restrictions, burn permit requirements and ever-changing fire-danger designations. Campfires, backyard recreational fires, fireworks, barbecues, leaf-burning and “prescribed” burns all have the potential of producing embers that can easily become breeze-borne Bic lighters. If they land on leaf-strewn roofs, on landscape wood chips, on a neighbor’s refuse or compost pile, on whatever “fuels” may be present, first responders will be called into action. In today’s world, that means firefighters must contend not only with fire and its inherent dangers, but also risk encountering COVID-19.

Minnesotans, whether city-dwellers or inhabitants of Greater Minnesota, should consider "hardening" their homes and opting for fire-resistant landscaping. The State Fire Marshal Division offers tips about safe camping and recreational fires and preventing barn fires that could result in the loss of livestock and property. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources offers some valuable tips via its Fire Wise Minnesota program, and the U.S. Fire Administration has a wealth of information regarding wildland-urban interface fires that can be passed along to department personnel and residents in your service area.

Fewer fires means fewer brushes with this global contagion.

Stay safe. Mask up. Wash your hands. Push prevention.