Will a fire engine come
to
your house?
Firefighters are passionate about saving
homes. They know the heartache a fire
can bring. But in a major wildfire, every
blaze can’t be tackled right away. And
not every house can be saved.
Why? Because firefighting resources will
be stretched too thin. And it may be too
dangerous to try to save each home.
Many people assume that during a
wildfire a fire engine will be parked at
every house. Not so. More likely, one
engine will be assigned to an entire
road, and it might stop at your house
for a few minutes.
Whether or not a fire engine
stops at your house
depends
mostly on your preparation. |
In a large fire, firefighters
must “triage” homes. They will survey an
area to see which homes are prepared and can be saved, and which are too
dangerous to try to defend.
If they see a wide driveway, a clearing
around the house, and a place to turn
around, they will attempt to protect
your ome.
If they see a water supply with a fire
department connection, they will be
even happier.
If they see a narrow driveway crowded
by brush, they will probably pass it by
-- and leave your home to its fate.
Many firefighters have lost their
lives defending homes that weren’t
prepared.
Let’s do our part to make
their job easier and safer.
