Ten volunteer fire stations in west central Arkansas recently received wildfire suppression kits from the Arkansas Agriculture Department. The kits include lightweight wildfire-resistant personal protective equipment, hand rakes, back-pack water pumps, and leaf blowers. “Volunteer fire departments are the primary partner to Arkansas Forestry Commission crews in wildfire response and suppression but often need the specialized equipment and gear necessary for safe wildfire suppression,” a news release states. The Rural Fire Program, managed by the Arkansas Agriculture Department’s Forestry Commission, received $237,000 from the United States Forest Service to purchase and distribute 79 wildfire suppression kits to statewide volunteer fire departments in 2019.