How to prepare your home for a wildfire

A wildfire can start anytime and anywhere. Wildfires can be started by humans, lightning, and periods of no rain and/or high winds, and it doesn’t take a lot for them to grow, but it is a lot of effort to stop them. Even if you aren’t living in an area prone to wildfires or who is experiencing them right now, such as California and Australia, you need to know the dangers, prepare your home and household for the possibility, and have an evacuation plan. Your safety and the safety of your household is a top priority. Wildfire season is much longer than just a season in some parts of the country. The wildfire season in California is more like a fire year. Before the fierce flames break out, you need to know how to prepare your house, your family, and your evacuation plan. 

Home Safety Tips:

Your house has three ignition zones you need to be aware of; the immediate zone, which is 0-5 feet from the exterior of your home, the intermediate zone, which is 5-30 feet from the exterior, and the extended zone, which goes as far as 100 feet from your home exterior. Each of these areas poses different threats to your home. Here are a few tips on how to make these areas much safer and resistant to the spread of a wildfire:

1. Rake up all flammable vegetation such as leaves, twigs, and branches and remove from premises from the immediate and intermediate zones

2. Consider creating fire lines with sidewalks, driveways, or other home extensions in all zones

3. Mow your lawn consistently so that the height of the grass does not exceed four inches in all zones

4. Clip branches off trees that are lower than 15 feet from the ground in immediate and intermediate zones

5. Make sure the canopies of trees in your yard, should you have multiple trees, are between 6-18 feet apart, depending on which zone they are in (closer in the extended zone, further in intermediate)

6. Dispose of ground litter and debris in all zones

More general safety tips include:

1. Removing debris from gutters

2. Repairing any shingles or areas of the roof that have been damaged

3. Using fire-resistant roof materials such as slate or metal

4. Keep firewood, gasoline, and other flammable materials in certified safety containers and in the extended zone of your home

5. Request for the power company remove branches from power lines near your home

6. Cut back any branches that are looming over the roof of your house or are within the immediate zone

7. Install 1/8 inch metal mesh screening over vents

8. Water lawn, if not in a drought area, to reduce the prospect of it becoming kindling

9. Switch to nonflammable mulch if applicable

10. Keep lawn mowers, furniture, and toys at least 30 feet from home during fire activity

Household Safety Tips:

Not everything you do to prepare for a wildfire is maintenance and upkeep. A lot of it also has to be awareness.

1. Tune in to warning systems in your community so you are aware of emergency alerts

2. Discuss and implement an evacuation plan in both your community and your home

3. Arrange temporary housing now with friends and family

4. Keep fire tools readily available, like an axe, a shovel, and a bucket

5. Know and, if necessary, adjust your insurance plans to cover smoke and fire damage as well as flood damage

6. Purchase N95 respirator masks to prevent detrimental smoke inhalation and keep in mind what to do with pets

7. Gather together important documents, heirlooms, and/or items of sentimental value in a fireproof box, chest, or container and keep it readily available should you need to evacuate quickly

8. Along with the important documents, have an emergency kit with basic tools (ex: flashlights, blankets, batteries, etc) and first aid supplies

9. Buy a hose that is long enough to reach all areas of the house

10. Search out fire-resistant materials for outdoor and indoor design, such as curtains, windows, roofs, and siding

11. Teach household how to use a fire extinguisher

Evacuation Tips:

Be aware of your community’s wildfire evacuation protocol and plan. Two key things you must remember, no matter what personal plans you may have to escape the smokey and fiery conditions are;

1. If you are told to evacuate, do so.

2. If you are trapped, call 911.

Do not let your pride get in the way of saving your life and potentially others. Other than that, here are some key points to keep in mind if you find yourself in the middle of an evacuation:

1. Listen to the emergency alert system for instructions

2. Implement the plan you have already put together

3. Put on your N95 masks if you see smoke in the distance

4. Have a ladder and other fire tools on hand

5. Seal and/or cover windows, doors, vents, pet doors, and all other openings if you are not told to evacuate but smokey conditions outside exist

6. Use hose or sprinklers to wet lawn and house for another layer of fire protection

7. Grab your container of valuables that you put together and place them in the garage or by the door

8. Place pets in the car for a quick getaway

9. Keep children and infants away from smoke and fumes

10. Move furniture to the center of the house, away from windows and entrances

11. Relocate fuel starters, like wood, gas, and propane tanks into the extended zone of the house, if possible

12. Disconnect automatic garage doors before the power goes out so they can easily be opened by hand

13. Turn on all lights, if you still have power, to make your home more visible to firefighters through the smoke

14. Shut off natural gas and other fuels

The key is to stay calm, stay focused, and stay safe. Prepare now by keeping the various zones of your house free of natural kindling and debris, tuning in to emergency radio or television programs, creating a plan for your home, and making that plan well known to your whole household. Wildfire flames can eat through dozens of acres in mere minutes. Sometimes, there are just seconds to escape from the wall of wildfire flames closing in on your home. This is why it is important to heed all evacuation orders and take them seriously. A split second can mean the difference between life and death in a wildfire. 

Keep up to date with your local forecast to know if you may be due for the dreaded fire season.

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