Wildfire Preparedness

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