With the warmer weather are the increased chances of a wildfire. By following a few suggestions, you can improve the chances that your family and home will survive a wildfire with minimal damages.
Create a Defense Shield: Fire-Resistant Landscaping
When landscaping your property keep in mind how fire-resistant it is. Establish “zones” for every 0–30 feet, 30–100/300 feet, and 100/300+ feet. The 0 – 30-foot-zone should be sparsely planted with lawns, small shrubs and low-fire-potential trees.
When planning the second zone, or the “transition zone’, determine its length by taking into consideration any slopes on the property. If your house is on a slope, the second zone should extend up to 300 feet. Homes on level property can extend their zone to 100 feet. The transition zone should be thinned of natural vegetation. By planting fire-resistant species of flora, you can also create an effective secondary fire buffer zone.
Finally, the third zone is generally comprised of the natural landscape.
There are many federal, state, and private websites that provide excellent information on how to accomplish fire-resistant landscaping, and provide excellent lists of vegetation that is resistant to fire.
Know How to Escape
Begin making a wildfire preparedness plan by creating a family evacuation plan. Having an evacuation plan that the entire family knows will help get everyone out of the home quickly and safely. Make sure everyone know the main route to get out of a home from their bed room, along with an alternate route. Also plan exits the family should use if they are in a different area of a home when a fire breaks out. By having multiple evacuation paths planned, your family will be less likely to panic when trying to escape. In your wildfire preparedness plan, include a plan for recovery.
Also plan driving routes with your family and keep detailed maps in every car. Talk to your local firefighters in advance to see what they suggest would be good driving routes, and what streets are more likely to be closed. In this plan, designate a meeting point for your family to go to should they be separated when there is an emergency.
Clear away debris. Debris is good fuel for a fire. By clearing things like leaves and long grasses from around your home or business, you will make it harder for a fire to flourish.
Prune trees and shrubs. Keeping trees and shrubs pruned improves their vitality and leaves less for a fire to burn. Therefore, this routine maintenance will increase their ability to heal from fire damage.
Keep landscape well-watered. When yards or plants are kept lush and green, the moisture contained within them will make it harder for them to be consumed. A green lawn will also help slow down a fire’s progression through a property.
Maintain your roof. Rid your roof of moss and pine needles, which are other forms of debris that fuel a fire. Also make sure your gutters do not have any leaves in them, especially if they are dry.
Make an emergency plan. Knowing what to do if a fire does happen on your property is just as important, if not more important, that preparing for the fire. Make a preparedness plan at home with your family and one at your business with employees. This plan should outline an evacuation plan that includes where exits in a building are located. Keep a first aid kit, flashlights and a list of important phone numbers. More on making and emergency preparedness kit.
Keep your insurance up to date. By reviewing and updating your insurance policies, you’ll know exactly what is covered in the event of a fire. Be sure to notify your insurance agent of any property changes so you are not under-insured should there be a fire. Read more about insurance.
Back up computer files: A computer left behind in a fire is easily destroyed along with all the data it contains. By backing-up the information online, you will save time and money when recovering the data. Learn about document recovery.
As the weather improves, many people find themselves wanting to spend more time outdoors. Fire pits and outdoor fireplaces offer an excellent way to extend the amount of time that can be comfortably spent outdoors with family and friends.
When planning for your outdoor fireplace or fire pit, comfort and ease of access seem to top the list-but the safety of your family, home or business, and guests should be the top priority. By following a few simple suggestions, you can avoid having your latest home or business improvement project become a nightmare.
Here are a few things to consider when protecting your home and family from a fire:
Proximity to combustible materials. It is recommended that you keep any combustible materials a minimum of 10 feet away from your fireplace.
The type of fuel. Wood, gas, or charcoal are the most popular and safest fuels to use in a fire pit or outdoor fireplace. Don’t use chemicals or combustibles, like lighter fluid or gasoline, to get the flames going.
Placement. Never place your fireplace on a wooden deck as hot embers can quickly ruin an evening.
Supervisionand prevention. Always supervise children and pets when a fire pit or outdoor fireplace is in use. Children easily fall and pets sometimes miscalculate their jumps. Many fire pits and fireplaces come with metal grates or curtains that can be placed on top of them–use them.
Proper disposal. Never dispose of hot ashes in a plastic waste receptacle. Instead, wait until the ashes have cooled and place them in a trash can made out of metal
Be ready. Make sure to have a garden hose, bucket of water, and/or a fire extinguisher close by when using your fireplace or fire pit.
Don’t break the law. Before installing a fire pit or outdoor fireplace, check with your local fire department see if these items are legal to use in your area. Some cities allow outdoor fireplaces only for ascetic purposes, but not for use as a heat source.
A historic home on Guyler Street in Ringgold, Tenn. caught fire earlier this week. Catoosa fire fighters quickly jumped into action and saved the home from being completely destroyed. Experts guess the fire started in the attic or on the roof, which were being renovated.
The emergency workers stated there were a lot of obstacles they had to face while trying to save the 10,000-square-foot home: wood that’s dry and old, outside wind, and carrying firefighting equipment up a flight of stairs. The attic of the home was destroyed by the flames while the first and second floors experienced water damage.
Oregon, known for its green landscapes and conservation efforts, has to battle fierce forest fires on an annual basis. To try to help with this issue, former President George W. Bush’s administration suggested thinning trees in the areas around the 102 cabins of Diamond Lake, Ore. Thinning trees around cabins would help prevent the loss of homes in the area, but tress would also be thinned in the back-country.
When is Thin too Thin?
When current Barak Obama became President, he promised to not follow through with the Bush administration’s plans to cut trees in order to save 58 million acres of forests and protect road-less areas where logs were once cut for commercial purposes.
The Associated Press reports that residents of the Diamond Lake area are more than willing to trim trees back from homes and cabins, but do not feel quite right about the thinning of trees in the back-country. They know that thinning the trees back will significantly reduce the risk of wildfires and help keep the pine beetles at bay, which have been infesting the area. The thoughts and fears of potential wildfires and the too-present pine beetle linger in the back of their minds, keeping residents on the fence about how many trees should be cut so homes can be saved.
Until the courts rule on how much trimming should be done to the trees, officials will keep protecting the forests from unlawful logging and residents will keep taking measures to protect their homes from wildfires.
