Bloomington, IL,
10
April
2018
|
07:00 AM
America/Chicago

Project funding award winners announced.

NFPA and State Farm Encourage Communities to Participate in 2018 Wildfire Community Preparedness Day

Wildfires are causing more damage to homes and businesses each year, not only in California but in states as different as Tennessee, Montana and Florida. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and State Farm® are helping communities take steps toward safety with their fifth annual national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day event on May 5, 2018.

Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is a reminder that there are many steps communities can take to be prepared for wildfire and an opportunity for residents to participate in wildfire safety activities. There is still time to prepare to take action with regard to wildfire safety and NFPA and State Farm encourage people to get involved by planning a project and participating on May 5. Print a free list of project ideas.

Recent wildfire events make the need for Preparedness Day more important than ever before. Last October, more than 40 people lost their lives in a rash of Northern California wildfires that burned more than 245,000 acres. In December, wildfires near Los Angeles forced more than 230,000 people to evacuate their homes. Several other states that experienced large fires in 2017, including Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Utah, have put the U.S. on pace to exceed the average acreage burned annually over the past 10 years.

"Since NFPA and State Farm first partnered together on Preparedness Day, the number of projects has grown tremendously. We are pleased to provide 150 communities with $500 each to fund their wildfire risk reduction activities on May 5," said Vickie Hodges, P&C underwriting analyst, State Farm. "For State Farm, the largest home insurer in the U.S., it is important to us to take a leadership role in helping homeowners stay safe and better protect their property."

For more information about national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day including resources, videos, and tip sheets, and to see the list of winning projects and their locations, please visit www.wildfireprepday.org.

For this release and other announcements about NFPA initiatives, research and resources, please visit the NFPA press room.

About State Farm®:

For over 100 years, the mission of State Farm has been to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected and realize their dreams. State Farm and its affiliates are the largest providers of auto and home insurance in the United States. Its more than 19,400 agents and 67,000 employees serve over 91 million policies and accounts – including auto, fire, lifehealth, commercial policies and financial services accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for rentersbusiness ownersboats and motorcycles, is also available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 44 on the 2023 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com.

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