Wildland Fire - Homeowner Preparations

o Inventory / Remove all important personal papers, photos, and valuables - be ready to evacuate.

o Create a safety zone or fire break around your home. A fuel reduction zone around your home for a distance of not less than 30 feet. Increase this zone up to 100' on steeper ground especially below structures. Beyond 100 feet from the house, dead down wood should be removed or thinned. These guidelines vary with fuel type, density, and expected fire behavior. Some plants are more fire resistive than others.

o Take out the "ladder fuels"-- that vegetation that serves as a link between ground fuel and the tree tops. Prune all trees up to 6' - 8' from the ground. Clearance also depends on vegetative conditions that provide ladder fuels that enable fire to climb into trees. Trees and shrubs are fine, as long as dead or low-hanging branches are removed and the height of ground vegetation is controlled.

o Remove flammable vegetation, wood piles, and combustible debris away from flammable walls. Rake combustable needles and leaf litter around structures and deposit well away.

o Store firewood well away from your home or outbuildings (downwind of expected fire spread) or cover completely with a spark resistant covering. No combustible fine fuels immediately adjacent to bottom of firewood pile.

o Sweep your gutters, eaves and roof and remove accumulated leaves, needles, and other dead vegetation; any place where a spark could ignite fine fuel.

o Cover your exterior attic and under floor vents with wire mesh no larger than 1/4 inch to prevent sparks from being drawn in and catching your home on fire. Sparks can melt plastic or nylon screening.
You should also screen under your porch or any other areas below the ground line, again, to keep out sparks and flames.

o Remove thin easily combustible interior curtains and close all windows and sliding glass doors. Fire resistant drapes and blinds add extra protection from radiant heat and should be closed. On the outside, put up nonflammable shutters if available.

o Proper storage of flammable liquids and hazardous materials. Leave propane tanks alone.

o Sign or mark septic tank and drainfield locations.

o Clean up site accumulation of combustables (old cars, lumber, lawn funiture, debris, etc.) Place in garage or remove well away from house and adjacent structures.

o Leave garden hose hooked up to water faucets.

o Will emergency vehicles have easy access?

o Be sure to mark your location with a road name and house number clearly visible from the road so firefighters can find you. Leave note with your name, phone # of where you can be reached.