NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Tennessee Division of Forestry is making sure volunteer fire departments are prepared for when flames spark ahead of fall fire season, which begins next week.

The state is accepting applications for Wildland Fire Suppression kits, paid for through a federal grant, which include personal protective equipment and other tools needed to fight wildfires.

Wildfires are surprisingly common in the Volunteer State. In fact, Tennessee sees around 1,000 wildfires per year that burn about 18,000 acres of land. All the growth in the state is making the problem worse.

“The thing that is becoming an increasing concern in Tennessee is that there is a high level of development on the edges of wild spaces, and that is creating additional risk to the residents in those areas,

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