Wildfires More Than a West Coast Issue: Church Mutual® Highlights Nationwide Risks
MERRILL, Wis., May 19, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With National Wildfire Awareness Month underway, it's crucial to recognize wildfires are not confined to the West Coast. Recent wildfires in Minnesota, Florida and North Carolina serve as a stark reminder that these destructive events can occur anywhere, impacting communities far beyond traditionally wildfire-prone areas.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, an above-normal fire potential exists this month in areas such as western Minnesota, the Mid-Atlantic and Florida, emphasizing the widespread nature of wildfire risks. So far this year, more than 25,000 wildfires have been reported – surpassing the 10-year average of just over 18,000 wildfires.
"Wildfires can happen at any time and almost anywhere, causing catastrophic damage to property," said Sarah Veader, Church Mutual's assistant vice president – Risk Control. "It's essential for all communities to be prepared."
In the event of a wildfire threat, there are three steps you can take to mitigate risk:
Monitor - Monitor local news and give yourself time to prepare for potential evacuation. Wildfires can spark and spread rapidly. It's important to establish a plan to evacuate people and valuables if your structure is threatened.
Prevent - Remove brush and combustible materials such as outdoor furniture and dead or dying tree limbs, clear debris from gutters and cover vents. Create a buffer zone around your building.
Defend - Consider installing emergency sprinklers to activate if a fire overtakes your structure. Private wildfire suppression trucks can be contracted to clear nearby debris and, if necessary, spray a fire-retardant gel on a building to protect it.
For more information to protect your buildings from wildfire, visit Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. (a stock insurer)'s Wildfire Resources page.
About Church Mutual
Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I., founded in 1897, offers specialized insurance for religious organizations of all denominations, public and private K-12 schools, colleges and universities, secular and non-secular camps and conference centers, and nonprofit and human services organizations throughout the United States. To learn more, visit churchmutual.com.
1Church Mutual is a stock insurer whose policyholders are members of the parent mutual holding company formed on 1/1/20. S.I. = a stock insurer.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250519110238/en/
Contacts
Contact: Jennifer JohnsonTitle: Senior Corporate Communications SpecialistPhone: (715) 539-5797Email: jmjohnson@churchmutual.com
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Wildfires More Than a West Coast Issue: Church Mutual ® Highlights Nationwide Risks
MERRILL, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With National Wildfire Awareness Month underway, it's crucial to recognize wildfires are not confined to the West Coast. Recent wildfires in Minnesota, Florida and North Carolina serve as a stark reminder that these destructive events can occur anywhere, impacting communities far beyond traditionally wildfire-prone areas. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, an above-normal fire potential exists this month in areas such as western Minnesota, the Mid-Atlantic and Florida, emphasizing the widespread nature of wildfire risks. So far this year, more than 25,000 wildfires have been reported – surpassing the 10-year average of just over 18,000 wildfires. 'Wildfires can happen at any time and almost anywhere, causing catastrophic damage to property,' said Sarah Veader, Church Mutual's assistant vice president – Risk Control. 'It's essential for all communities to be prepared.' In the event of a wildfire threat, there are three steps you can take to mitigate risk: Monitor - Monitor local news and give yourself time to prepare for potential evacuation. Wildfires can spark and spread rapidly. It's important to establish a plan to evacuate people and valuables if your structure is threatened. Prevent - Remove brush and combustible materials such as outdoor furniture and dead or dying tree limbs, clear debris from gutters and cover vents. Create a buffer zone around your building. Defend - Consider installing emergency sprinklers to activate if a fire overtakes your structure. Private wildfire suppression trucks can be contracted to clear nearby debris and, if necessary, spray a fire-retardant gel on a building to protect it. For more information to protect your buildings from wildfire, visit Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. (a stock insurer)'s Wildfire Resources page. About Church Mutual Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I., founded in 1897, offers specialized insurance for religious organizations of all denominations, public and private K-12 schools, colleges and universities, secular and non-secular camps and conference centers, and nonprofit and human services organizations throughout the United States. To learn more, visit 1 Church Mutual is a stock insurer whose policyholders are members of the parent mutual holding company formed on 1/1/20. S.I. = a stock insurer.
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MERRILL, Wis., May 19, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With National Wildfire Awareness Month underway, it's crucial to recognize wildfires are not confined to the West Coast. Recent wildfires in Minnesota, Florida and North Carolina serve as a stark reminder that these destructive events can occur anywhere, impacting communities far beyond traditionally wildfire-prone areas. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, an above-normal fire potential exists this month in areas such as western Minnesota, the Mid-Atlantic and Florida, emphasizing the widespread nature of wildfire risks. So far this year, more than 25,000 wildfires have been reported – surpassing the 10-year average of just over 18,000 wildfires. "Wildfires can happen at any time and almost anywhere, causing catastrophic damage to property," said Sarah Veader, Church Mutual's assistant vice president – Risk Control. "It's essential for all communities to be prepared." In the event of a wildfire threat, there are three steps you can take to mitigate risk: Monitor - Monitor local news and give yourself time to prepare for potential evacuation. Wildfires can spark and spread rapidly. It's important to establish a plan to evacuate people and valuables if your structure is threatened. Prevent - Remove brush and combustible materials such as outdoor furniture and dead or dying tree limbs, clear debris from gutters and cover vents. Create a buffer zone around your building. Defend - Consider installing emergency sprinklers to activate if a fire overtakes your structure. Private wildfire suppression trucks can be contracted to clear nearby debris and, if necessary, spray a fire-retardant gel on a building to protect it. For more information to protect your buildings from wildfire, visit Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. (a stock insurer)'s Wildfire Resources page. About Church Mutual Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I., founded in 1897, offers specialized insurance for religious organizations of all denominations, public and private K-12 schools, colleges and universities, secular and non-secular camps and conference centers, and nonprofit and human services organizations throughout the United States. To learn more, visit 1Church Mutual is a stock insurer whose policyholders are members of the parent mutual holding company formed on 1/1/20. S.I. = a stock insurer. View source version on Contacts Contact: Jennifer JohnsonTitle: Senior Corporate Communications SpecialistPhone: (715) 539-5797Email: jmjohnson@
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The storm also overperformed in the mountains, delivering several inches of snow in the upper Cottonwood canyons. While that's great for current wildfire conditions, things can change fairly quickly, warns Taiga Rohrer, deputy state fire management officer of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. 'It takes very little time for those fuels to dry out,' he said, pointing to invasive cheatgrass as an example of where conditions can change in days. That's why he and other experts are advising residents to take steps now to prevent wildfires and their potential impacts, instead of waiting until fire conditions worsen. May is National Wildfire Awareness Month, and Rocky Mountain Power recognized the designation Tuesday by bringing in state and local experts to discuss wildfire preparedness and this summer's unique fire outlook. Utah's fire forecast Nearly three-quarters of the state remained in drought to start this month, including almost half in severe or extreme drought categories, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Despite Utah's drought situation, 'normal' fire potential is expected to remain in place throughout the state this month, according to the wildland fire potential outlook that the National Interagency Fire Center's Predictive Services updated last week. The report states that early May precipitation is helping to keep conditions 'moderate,' but expected 'prolonged' dry periods and winds can pose 'brief localized wildfire risk' over the next few weeks. Forecasters wrote that wildfire fuels in southern Utah 'will dry quickly by late May and June' unless this month's storms produce precipitation that is 'well above normal.' So far, so good on that front. 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Potential could increase to above-normal in parts of southern Utah in June and July before returning to normal in August. | National Interagency Fire Center Predictive Services Utah has some of the highest probabilities for above-normal temperatures this summer, but central and southern regions are listed as having 'equal chances' when it comes to precipitation, according to preliminary meteorological summer outlooks released by the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center. The latter means that there's no clear signal yet whether conditions will be wetter, drier or near-normal between June 1 and Aug. 31. Slightly higher odds for drier-than-normal conditions are expected across northern Utah. Longer-range models indicate stronger monsoon odds toward the end of summer, which could reach all parts of the state. Based on that probability, all of Utah is listed as returning to 'normal' wildfire potential by the end of meteorological summer. 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