California Wildfire Home Protection

As summer approaches our team has been researching wildfire prevention tips so we can help fortify our own homes and share it with you. Since 1972, California’s annual burned area has increased more than fivefold. Over the past five decades, these summertime forest fires have increased in size by roughly 800 percent. (MEYER) 

With this information in mind, we want to raise awareness of things we can do in order to protect our home and family.

Fortify Your Home

- Clear dead leaves routinely during the spring or summer from gutters, roofs, and porches. 
- Remove dead vegetation with a 10 food radius of your home.
- Prune trees so the branches have 6-10 feet distance from the ground.
- Enclose exterior vents with metal mesh to prevent embers from traveling into your home. 
- Buy a wireless or crank powered radio so you can stay up to date on news if power lines go down. 
- Have a grab bag of essentials packed in a closet.

Create An Emergency Plan

- Plan on a safe location you can meet up with your loved ones in case of an emergency as phone lines are often too busy to service calls. 
- Develop an emergency evacuation plan for both your home and neighborhood and put it into practice.

Community Outreach

- Reach out to your neighbors to make connections and share contact information.
- Contact your local planning or zoning office to see if your area is at high risk for wildfires or if you are not sure if these items apply to you.

What To Do During A Wildfire

- Pack an emergency grab bag in your car with water, food bars etc.
- Move all outside furnishings inside your home or garage as soon as possible including all houseplants and door mats. 
- Fill the pool, hot tub, trash cans, tubs, any open vessel with water. Fire Fighters have been known to need to pump water from these places to put out rooftop fires. 
-Leave ASAP to a no risk area even before you are advised to evacuate. Once the evacuation orders are released, everyone will be trying to do the same.

Thinking in this way can seem scary and overwhelming but it is best to plan beforehand so if this ever happens again you will have ideas of what you need to do in the high stress moments.  Bonus is that many of these emergency plans and items can also be used if there are earthquakes. California is only getting hotter and being prepared can put you and your family at ease.

Share this with your friends, neighbors, and family! Let us all get on the same page for this up coming fire season.