Wildfires And Your Home
Fires very quickly spread from tree to tree in dense forest. Long before the emergency evacuation crew knocks at your door, here are a few things you can do to protect your family and your belongings:
A getaway bag will help: Keep some of your most important belongings in a bag near the front door, so that you can grab it and go if you need to evacuate quickly. This will also make any temporarily away family members feel better, since you can protect their most valued items. Things for the bag would be your important documents, or copies of them, and any prescription medications that you or your family require. Nice-to-haves include toiletries, electronics, etc.
Your data: Invest in an external hard drive and program your computer to do automatic back-ups so you can spend a bit more time grabbing photos and other irreplaceable items when you are forced to leave your home.
Keep an eye up high: For those who have power lines, always be certain that there is nothing touching them, and that trees are not allowed to be too close. Heavy winds can bring down trees, as well as fire.
Protection zone: A general rule of thumb is to clear any trees, vegetation that could catch fire, or other debris away from your home at a distance of 10 metres.
Only you can prevent forest fires: Close to 50% of wild fires are caused by human carelessness. An extremely dangerous and costly forest fire can come from any spark, from a cigarette butt, a careless camper, or even a controlled burn that is done improperly.
If the weather is extremely dry, it's a bad idea to build a camp fire. And make sure you don't throw a lit cigarette from your car. Dry grass can easily catch fire from a smouldering cigarette butt.
Cut back vegetation around your home. And try to use fireproof materials in the construction of your home, whenever possible. This could include fire resistant shingles, tempered glass windows, a spark arrestor on your chimney. Taking these steps may even reduce your home insurance rate.
Take the time to create a detailed evacuation procedure. Review the plans with your family in the household so they understand the procedure. Have an emergency kit prepared as well. Include 3 days worth of drinking water, and an assortment of non-perishable food items. You should also include a first-aid kit, a flashlight and batteries, and a portable radio.
If you have a hot tub or pool, keep them filled with water, as well as garbage cans or other kinds of containers. If an official evacuation order is handed down, don't take chances, leave the home immediately Use fireproof door numbers on your home, so that it can be easily identified. Firefighters will find your house much more quickly if you take that precaution.
Call 911 immediately if you see any signs that a wildfire is forming.
Go over your home insurance coverage to be sure that you are fully protected. A wildfire could strike at any time, so be sure that your home insurance is adequate, so that if a tragedy occurs and your home is lost, you can have it rebuilt without losing everything.
A getaway bag will help: Keep some of your most important belongings in a bag near the front door, so that you can grab it and go if you need to evacuate quickly. This will also make any temporarily away family members feel better, since you can protect their most valued items. Things for the bag would be your important documents, or copies of them, and any prescription medications that you or your family require. Nice-to-haves include toiletries, electronics, etc.
Your data: Invest in an external hard drive and program your computer to do automatic back-ups so you can spend a bit more time grabbing photos and other irreplaceable items when you are forced to leave your home.
Keep an eye up high: For those who have power lines, always be certain that there is nothing touching them, and that trees are not allowed to be too close. Heavy winds can bring down trees, as well as fire.
Protection zone: A general rule of thumb is to clear any trees, vegetation that could catch fire, or other debris away from your home at a distance of 10 metres.
Only you can prevent forest fires: Close to 50% of wild fires are caused by human carelessness. An extremely dangerous and costly forest fire can come from any spark, from a cigarette butt, a careless camper, or even a controlled burn that is done improperly.
If the weather is extremely dry, it's a bad idea to build a camp fire. And make sure you don't throw a lit cigarette from your car. Dry grass can easily catch fire from a smouldering cigarette butt.
Cut back vegetation around your home. And try to use fireproof materials in the construction of your home, whenever possible. This could include fire resistant shingles, tempered glass windows, a spark arrestor on your chimney. Taking these steps may even reduce your home insurance rate.
Take the time to create a detailed evacuation procedure. Review the plans with your family in the household so they understand the procedure. Have an emergency kit prepared as well. Include 3 days worth of drinking water, and an assortment of non-perishable food items. You should also include a first-aid kit, a flashlight and batteries, and a portable radio.
If you have a hot tub or pool, keep them filled with water, as well as garbage cans or other kinds of containers. If an official evacuation order is handed down, don't take chances, leave the home immediately Use fireproof door numbers on your home, so that it can be easily identified. Firefighters will find your house much more quickly if you take that precaution.
Call 911 immediately if you see any signs that a wildfire is forming.
Go over your home insurance coverage to be sure that you are fully protected. A wildfire could strike at any time, so be sure that your home insurance is adequate, so that if a tragedy occurs and your home is lost, you can have it rebuilt without losing everything.
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