|
DECIDE what you will do if a fire threatens.
Evaluate your home’s situation and your
own abilities. Will you be able to evacuate?
Do you have a safety zone? Or have you
prepared to stay and defend your home?
If you don’t plan to evacuate, discuss this
ahead of time with your local fire and Cal
Fire people. Look inside these pages for
insights about this life-and-death decision.
IF YOU WILL EVACUATE:
Plan ahead for persons with special needs.
Prepare carriers and food for your animals.
Choose an out-of-area contact person.
GATHER crucial items in one container:
Phone numbers
Birth certificates,
Passports,
Insurance
policies,
Prescription names/numbers
Irreplaceable photos and small heirlooms
Inventory of your home’s contents
Computer backup files.
PACK in a bag, ready to grab:
Cotton clothes & socks, and sturdy shoes
Gloves, goggles, bandanas
Drinking water, snacks
Battery-operated radio or computer
Other items you can pack ahead of time
Keep your home and surroundings free of
flammable materials!
SWEEP your roof and gutters regularly.
MOVE firewood, lumber, planter boxes, and other flammable items away -- and out
from under -- home, deck, and porch.
CLEAR everything flammable at least 3 feet away from walls and windows.
REDUCE the amount of vegetation within
30 feet of your home.
If you have water with a fire department
connector, POST a sign at your driveway.
Prepare for how you will close or COVER
outdoor vents to keep embers out.
Remember: LIVES are much more
important than THINGS.
Never risk
a life to save your belongings.
|
Provide for elderly/disabled /children first.
Round up your animals and load them.
Wear cotton jeans & shirt and sturdy shoes.
Close exterior vents or cover them.
Close all windows tightly.
MOVE ALL outdoor flammable items either indoors or 30 feet away from the house &
deck, as time permits.
Connect garden hoses to faucets.
Shut off propane tank or natural gas.
Tune to local radio / TV / websites for news.
Try KZYX: 90.7 or 91.5 FM, K201HR 88.1 FM
LOAD IN YOUR VEHICLE:
Containers and bags you already packed
Medications, glasses, laptop computer
Family heirlooms, if there’s time
DISCONNECT electric door openers and
gates.
CLOSE all doors behind you.
Call your contact person.
INSIDE YOUR HOUSE:
* If time, bring a garden hose indoors.
* Close all doors and windows tightly.
* Gather all family members inside the
house, away from outside walls, on the
opposite side from approaching fire.
Stay there until the fire has passed (the
heat & noise will last only 1-2 minutes).
Resist the urge to panic and leave.
You are much, much safer indoors.
When the fire has passed, check your roof,
deck, the outside of your house, and
inside your attic for burning embers
frequently, for at least 12 hours.
IN YOUR CAR:
Park in the most cleared
area you can find. Close all windows
and vents. Cover yourself with blankets
or jackets and lie face down on the floor
until the fire passes.
ON FOOT: Find a ditch or roadside area
clear of vegetation, cover yourself up
and lie face down till the fire passes.
|
