You can also visit the following websites for more information on how to prepare for wildfires.
What should I do to prepare ahead of time?
Learn about wild fire risks in your area.
Talk with members of your household about wild fires—how to prevent them and what to do if one occurs.
Post emergency phone numbers by every phone in your home.
Make sure driveway entrances & your house # or address are clearly marked.
Identify and maintain an adequate water source outside your home, such as a small pond, cistern, well or swimming pool.
Keep handy items that can be used as fire tools: a rake, axe, handsaw or chainsaw, bucket and shovel.
Select building materials and plants that resist fire.
Regularly clean roofs and gutters.
Keep a ladder that will reach your roof.
Have a garden hose that is long enough to reach any area of the home and other structures on the property.
Create a 30- to 100-Foot Safety Zone Around Your Home:
o Within this area, you can take steps to reduce potential exposure to flames and radiant heat. Homes built in pine forests should have a minimum safety zone of 100 feet. If your home sits on a steep slope, standard protective measures may not suffice. Contact your local fire department or forestry of fire for additional information.
o Rake leaves, dead limbs and twigs. Clear all flammable vegetation.
o Remove leaves from under structures and dispose of them properly.
o Thin a 15-foot space between tree crowns, and remove limbs within 15 feet of the ground.
o Remove dead branches that extend over the roof.
o Prune tree branches and shrubs within 15 feet of a stovepipe or chimney outlet.
o Ask the power company to clear branches from power lines.
o Remove vines from the walls of the home.
o Mow grass regularly.
o Clear a 10-foot area around propane tanks & BBQ. Place a screen over the grill—use non-flammable material with mesh no coarser than one-quarter inch.
o Regularly dispose of newspapers and rubbish at an approved site.
o Follow local burning regulations.
o Place stove, fireplace and grill ashes in a metal bucket, soak in water for two days, then bury the cold ashes in mineral soil.
o Store gasoline, oily rags & other flammable materials in approved safety cans. Place cans in a safe location away from the base of buildings.
o Stack firewood at least 100 feet away and uphill from your home. Clear combustible material within 20 feet.
Information taken from American Red Cross.
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