Gov. Butch Otter has joined governors in seven other states in proclaiming May as “Wildfire Awareness Month,” declaring that “wildfires increasingly pose a threat to homes and communities throughout the West.”

The proclamation, also signed by the governors of California, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah and Washington, says, “Wildfires are an essential ecosystem process which cannot be excluded from our landscapes. Therefore coordinated education concerning how, where, and why wildfires burn, as well as collaborated efforts to increase survivability of home and property are paramount in co-existing in a fire environment.” You can see the full proclamation here.