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Lightning Awareness

The power of lightning is immense. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United States averages 51 annual lightning strike fatalities annually. About 90 percent of people struck by lightning are estimated to survive, but they often suffer from long lasting neurological damage.

Whenever possible, operations should cease, and individuals should make every effort to seek shelter indoors or in vehicles when lightening is near. If you absolutely cannot get to safety, you can slightly lessen the threat of being struck with the following tips:

  • Find a low spot that is not subject to flooding
  • Avoid tall trees, wires, utility lines, and other tall objects
  • If in an area of thick trees, move to an area with shorter trees
  • If only isolated trees are nearby, keep your distance twice the tree height from tree
  • If in open country, crouch low with feet together and minimize contact with the ground–squat
  • Do not group together
  • Do not handle metal hand tools or flammable materials
  • Do not stay on ridge tops or wide-open areas or near ledges

Activity should not resume until at least 30 mins after the storm activity has passed.

If a person is struck by lightning:

  • Resuscitation for persons struck by lightning must be initiated immediately.
  • Victims of lightning do not retain the charge and are not "electrified." It is safe to help them.
  • Cardiopulmonary arrest occurs from both the direct current to the heart and paralysis of the respiratory center in the brain.
  • Although cardiac rhythm may spontaneously return, respiratory muscle paralysis may persist, and rescue breaths may be necessary for several minutes even after the pulse returns.
  • Almost everyone struck by lightning who does not have cardiac and/or respiratory arrest at the scene survives, even though they may be seriously injured or burned.
  • If multiple people are struck, attend to those who do not have a pulse and are not breathing first.  This is known as “reverse triage.”

Discussion Questions:

  • Look around at your current setting: where would you take cover in a storm?
  • If someone were to be struck by lightning, where is the rescue breathing equipment? Do you know how to use it?

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Date: Aug 15, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
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Questions? Please contact:
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Date: Aug 13, 2025
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Date: Aug 8, 2025
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The Equipment Technology Committee (ETC) and the Risk Management Committee (RMC) have issued Safety Bulletin 25-001: Laundering to Decontaminate Wildland Fire Clothing. Recent research revealed that wildland fire flame-resistant pants and shirts can be contaminated with chemicals from combustion byproducts, including carcinogens, and that common laundering practices can effectively remove these harmful contaminants from wildland firefighter clothing more effectively than previously understood. It is recommended to decontaminate wildland fire clothing as frequently as possible. 

Frequently Asked Questions about this new information and how to implement recommendations can be found on the NWCG Alerts page. Read the complete ETC/RMC Safety Bulletin: 25-001 to learn more. 

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