PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE – the more defensible and prepared your house is, the more likely firefighters will devote resources to it.[1]
- When building a new home, research non-combustible and fire-retardant options.
- Keep trees away from the house the same distance they are high.
- Thin the number of trees immediately adjacent to your home.
- Remove limbs and branches up to 15 feet to keep fires from spreading upward.
- Plant fire-resistant shrubs and trees.
- Plant grass around your home.
- Clear a fire break 100 feet away from the house.
- Store woodpiles 100 feet from the house.
- Install an automatic sprinkler system.
- Install protective shutters on outside windows.
- Choose noncombustible draperies.
- Make sure your home address is easily visible from the street.
BEFORE THE SEASON
- Clear gutters and roof of debris.
- Remove tree limbs hanging over the house.
- Clean up debris around your home and outbuildings.
- Have a good ladder that reaches the roof.
- Keep firefighting tools such as shovels, axes, rakes, and garden hoses.
- Make evacuation plans.
- Plan to keep vehicles fueled and serviced as much as possible.
WHEN A WILDFIRE IS APPROACHING
- Wear boots, gloves, pants, long-sleeved shirt, and eye protection.
- Position your evacuation vehicle facing the escape route.
- Pack your vehicle with preparedness items and personal belongings.
- Close curtains.
- Move combustibles into the house or 100 feet away from the house.
- Shut off your LPG tank or natural gas.
- Confine pets to one area so they can be found easily before evacuation.
Visit the National Weather Service for more detailed information.
[1] Brent Stainer, “Help your home survive in the path of a wildfire,” Backwoods Home magazine, March/April 2007