More than half a million wildfires are intentionally set each year in the United States and cause over $3 billion in damage.

The United States Fire Administration wants people to know the dangers of wildfires, especially those that were the direct result of someone's deliberate actions, and work to prevent future fires from being started. This week has been named National Arson Awareness Week.ArsonArson can have devastating consequences on the forests, residents, animals and emergency responders tasked to battle the fire. An arson fire puts lives unnecessarily at risk, uproots families who are in the path of the fire and can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to extinguish.In Pike County, more than 160 firefighters battled a wildfire in the Pine Flats section of the Delaware State Forest that burned more than 8,000 acres and 11 structures since April 20."It's one of the worst fires I've seen in my nearly 20 years with the state," Robert Martynowych, a forester in neighboring Weiser Forest District, told the Times Tribune.Officials announced last week that the fire, which burned for more than a week before it was fully contained, was intentionally set and a $10,000 reward for information leading to the person's arrest and conviction has been issued.Last year, a forest fire that burned 674 acres near Jack Frost Ski Area in Kidder Township was also deemed an arson after all other sources of fire starters had been ruled out.Cost and preventionIf a wildfire is determined to be arson, the responsible person will face charges and be responsible for covering the costs associated with the fire.Costs could soar to as much as $25 per minute depending on the amount of response needed to battle a wildfire and may quickly rack up a price tag in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.In Pennsylvania, felony charges could include intentionally starting a fire, endangering people, damaging property or failing to control or report a fire.There could also be additional charges if people are hurt or killed as a result of the fire.Wesley Keller, forest fire specialist supervisor for DCNR's Bureau of Forestry at the Penn Forest Fire Control Station, said in several cases murder charges against the responsible party were also filed because a firefighter was killed during the response.Emergency responders work closely with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' Bureau of Forestry, which is responsible for protecting the state's 17 million acres of public and private wild lands from damage by wildfire.Keller said the department also completes wildfire training and field exercises.On Saturday, the department will be using the exercises to clear part of the Firebreak Trail on top of the White Bear Mountain in Mauch Chunk Lake Park to help remove brush and other fuel sources as a prevention method.