Is your home and yard Firewise? Houses lost to wildfires, are caused by wind borne embers that start small fires around the homes. These embers can be blown over a mile in front of the wildfire.
Protect yourself from wildfire embers:
- Clean leafs out of rain gutters
- Remove dead plant materials in your yard
- Rake away leaf and pine needles within 3-5 feet of your home
- Plant fire resistant plants
- Make your house number visible from the street
Because homes are generally built closer together then they were in the past, wild fires can get out-of-control quicker, and impact many more houses in a short amount of time.
Know your regional emergency radio, cell phone, website, email, escape routes (numbers and address) just in case you find yourself in this situation. But, if you feel you would absolutely never need to use any kind of emergency information, get it anyway. Your neighbors may contact you someday, looking for help.
