Wildfires in Southern California: Be Prepared
There are things that can be to help protect your home before the season starts and keep during the entire year:
Create a defensive space around your home. This is the safety zone for your home and helps reduce your risk. To reduce this risk, modify or eliminate brush and trees that are close to the home. Did you know that fire travels faster downhill? So that would mean you would have to extend your defensive space out further if you live on or by a hill. Pools and patios help with your safety zone while stone walls can buy you time by acting as heat shields.
There are other things that can also be done, such as:
(1) Remove vines from the walls of the house.
(2) Move shrubs and other landscaping away from the sides of the house.
(3) Remove tree limbs from within 15 feet of the ground.
(4) Prune branches and shrubs within 15 feel of chimneys and stove pipes.
(5) Thin a 15 foot space between tree crowns.
(6) Replace highly flammable vegetation with less flammable species. Check with your local fire department or garden store for suggestions.
(7) Cut lawn to a maximum height of 2″ and away from any driveways.
(8) Keep the area free and clear of dead leaves and vegetation.
Start 30 yards from your home and continue out to 100 yards and again if you live on or near a hill extent out further. This is your defensive space and will help slow down the progression of any fire.
Now that you have the outside taken care of, it is time to turn your attention inside. Prepare documents that can be stored in one location (such as a fire safe) so you know where everything is in case there is no time to prepare to leave. These documents should include:
(a) medical records
(b) pet records
(c) insurance paperwork
(d) photographs – a copy of them can be stored on a CD and placed in the safe
(e) bank account information including a spare pack of checks
(f) birth certificates
(g) social security numbers and where the cards are kept
(h) list of your important advisors such as a bank officer and your insurance agent
(i) list of property such as personal property and vehicles
(j) list of credit cards including account number and type of card as well as who the holder is
(k) list of miscellaneous debts
(l) list of memberships and account numbers
(m) passport information and
(n) family history.
It has been suggested that most if not all of this information can be stored on a flash drive that can connect to any USB port on a computer or laptop to be retrieved.
Unfortunately, there are times when one has been giving the word to prepare to evacuate. There are things that can be done while you are waiting for the word to leave. They include:
(1) evacuate pets and non-essential family members as well as anyone with medical/physical limitations including the young or the elderly
(2) wear protective clothing
(3) remove combustibles from home i.e. wood piles, lawn furniture, bbq grills. Move items outside of defensive space
(4) close/protect openings. Close all openings, vents, windows, doors, etc. Close shutters, blinds and heavy non-combustible window covers. Remove all combustible drapes and curtains.
(5) Close all inside doors to prevent draft. Open your fireplace damper but close the fireplace screen
(6) shut off gas, natural gas, propane and fuel oil valves
(7) connect water hose. Fill pools, hot tubs, empty garbage cans, tubs or any large container with water.
(8) If you have a gas powered pumps for water, make sure they are fueled and ready to go.
(9) Place a ladder against the house in clear view.
(10) Back car in driveway and roll up windows.
(11) Disconnect the garage door, but make sure you are still able to open it without power
(12) load valuables – papers, mementos, fire safe – anything that you cannot live without. Don’t forget clothing and things for your pet (leash, food, bowl [maybe a toy]).
Now that you have been given the word to evacuate, chances are you will only have a few moments, but thankfully you are prepared and there are only a few things left to do:
(a) turn on all the lights in every room including your outdoor lights even during the daylight hours. This makes your house easier to see in heavy smoke.
(b) Don’t lock up your house, keep everything closed but not locked so firefighters can enter and protect your home if necessary.
(c) leave and go to the nearest protected location as you are instructed to do.
No one wants to be caught in a fire storm and living in Southern California it is the one thing we all face, but with a few moments a day we all can be prepared.
