In a wildfire, everyone may not be
able to evacuate the burning area. If there’s
only one road in and out for your home,
ranch or subdivision –
• the road may be overloaded with
exiting traffic
• numerous fire engines, water tankers,
and bulldozers may be trying to enter
your area
• a vehicle could stall or have an accident
on the road, blocking all other vehicles
• the fire might be on both sides of the
road, so no vehicles can get through
Even if you have more than one road,
erratic winds may drive the fire in
multiple directions, making evacuation
impossible or unsafe.
In such situations, there are two choices:
(1) staying in your home and defending
it, which requires firefighting training and
excellent fire safe preparation of yourself,
your home and surroundings, or
(2) going
to a pre-designated “Safety Zone.”
If you want to defend your own home
but have not done so before, please let
your local fire district and CAL FIRE know
of your decision, and learn how to do
it safely!
Also see these articles: Embers 4-5 and 16.
Safety Zones
A “Safety Zone” may be your best choice.
A safety zone is usually a wide open
SPACE where a fire could blow through
but not impact any homes or lives.
It could also could be a HOME in your area
that is particularly fire resistant, where the
owners have prepared and agreed to let
others shelter there. Discuss this with your
neighbors well before fire season begins.
Some neighborhoods have pre-existing
safe spaces, like large parking lots or
horse arenas. Many people in rural areas,
though, will need to create a safe area.
As we said before, fire needs three
components in order to exist: heat,
oxygen, and fuel. In rural areas, fuel can
include grass, brush, trees, slash, barns,
wood piles, fences, cars, and machinery.
Take away the items that fuel the fire,
and the fire will not be able to burn!
In order for a safety zone to be truly safe, it must have all or nearly all flammable
materials removed from it in advance. |
Are you physically or financially
unable to clear around your
home? Please call or write the Fire
Safe Council at (707) 462-3662 or
firesafe@pacific.net and let us know.
We sometimes receive funding to
help people do this clearing. We will
keep you in mind and contact you if
we are able to help. |
Brush should be cut and removed, grass
should be weed-whacked, and the area
should be cleared as close to soil as
possible. But green grass is a good thing!
When a fire arrives at a good safety zone,
it will burn around the area, but not
through it. The people in the middle
of a good safety zone will feel the fire’s
heat and wind, but not be burned.
The location of a safety zone is critical. It
should be flat: for instance, a large grazed
field with no trees and brush, or perhaps
a wide, flat river bed with little vegetation
nearby. A running creek or river can be
a safe refuge – IF it’s not in a canyon and
dry vegetation is not crowding its banks.
The safety zone should be as large as you
can make it. The height of the nearest
vegetation is crucial. Fire specialists
recommend that if your safety zone is
surrounded by trees 50 feet tall, your
safety zone should be at least 450 feet
in diameter. The reason for this large
size is that burning trees put off a
tremendous amount of heat. Burning
grass, on the other hand, could require
a safety zone only 60 feet in diameter.
 |
The same level of radiant
heat exposure that takes
27 minutes to ignite
wood will cause second
degree burns on human
skin in only 5 seconds! Be
sure to protect yourself
any time you are near a
wildfire -- or a burn pile!
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Store water and firefighting tools in your
safety zone, in case you need them.
Create your safety area in late spring, and
monitor it every week during fire season
to make sure it is still free of flammable
materials. Be fire safe, and live!
MCFSC staff created this article with the help of a
fire behavior specialist. However, we can’t guarantee
that following this advice will keep you safe.
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