Kankakee Times

State Representative Jackie Haas said, "The Illinois Department of Natural Resources urges Illinois residents to become more vigilant and educated on wildfire safety so that incidents of fires can be prevented," in a Facebook post dated September 12.

"The Illinois Department of Natural Resources urges Illinois residents to become more vigilant and educated on wildfire safety so that incidents of fires can be prevented," said Haas, according to Facebook.

In her post, Rep. Haas shared a link to The Caucus Blog, which focuses on wildfire safety and controlled burns. According to the blog post, Illinois residents should avoid burning when winds exceed 5 miles per hour or when relative humidity is below 40 percent. Burns should occur in protected areas with no combustible materials within 10 feet for small fires and 50 feet for larger fires. Residents are advised to check the fire weather forecast before burning and avoid welding and grinding in areas with dry vegetation. Campfires should be small, situated in protected areas, and burned during nighttime hours within fire grates.

Screenshot of State Rep. Jackie Haas' Sept. 12 Facebook post | State Representative Jackie Haas' Facebook page

A June 2024 news release from the State of Illinois encouraged residents to monitor air quality during fire season. The release noted that Illinois air quality conditions in 2023 had not been recorded in previous decades, prompting the government to urge residents to take precautions.

"Checking the local air quality should go hand-in-hand with checking local weather, and AirNow.gov is a valuable resource, especially for individuals with respiratory and pulmonary disease," said Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director John J. Kim. He added that the "Illinois EPA continually monitors air quality conditions throughout the state and makes real-time data available as well as forecasted air quality so residents can plan your day accordingly."

Rep. Jackie Haas was elected to represent Illinois’ 79th House District in December 2020. She serves as CEO of the Helen Wheeler Center for Community Health; previously worked as a social worker at Riverside Medical Center; holds a Bachelor of Social Work from Valparaiso University; and earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Illinois-Chicago, according to her biography from the Illinois General Assembly.