04/27/2021
Are you prepared for wildfire season? Wildfire season is quickly approaching, is your home safe?
Here is a great checklist for homeowners because:
"WILDFIRE DOESN’T HAVE TO BURN everything in its path.
In fact, cleaning your property of debris and maintaining your landscaping are important first steps to helping minimize damage and loss."
👉The work you do today CAN make a difference.
Follow these simple action steps now and throughout the year
to prepare and help reduce the risk of your home and property becoming fuel for a wildfire:
☑Clear leaves and other debris from gutters, eaves, porches, and decks. This prevents embers from igniting your home.
☑ Remove dead vegetation from under your deck and within 10 feet of the house.
☑ Remove anything stored underneath decks or porches.
☑Screen or box-in areas below patios and decks with wire mesh to prevent debris and combustible materials from accumulating.
☑Remove flammable materials (firewood stacks, propane tanks, dry vegetation) within 30 feet of your home’s foundation and outbuildings, including garages and sheds.
👉If it can catch fire, don’t let it touch your house, deck or porch.
☑Wildfire can spread to treetops. If you have trees on your property, prune so the lowest branches are 6 to 10 feet from the ground.
☑Keep your lawn hydrated and maintained. If it is brown, cut it down to reduce fire intensity. Dry grass and shrubs are fuel for wildfire.
☑Don’t let debris and lawn cuttings linger. Dispose of these items quickly to reduce fuel for a fire.
☑Inspect shingles or roof tiles. Replace or repair those that are loose or missing to prevent ember pe*******on.
☑Cover exterior attic vents with metal wire mesh no larger than 1/8 inch to prevent sparks from entering the home.
☑Enclose under-eave and soffit vents or screen with metal mesh to prevent ember entry.
👉Learn more about how to keep your family safe and reduce your home’s risk for wildfire damage at www.firewise.org.
Fire Wiseguy Eagle Valley Wildland NFPA’s Wildfire and Firewise USA Programs