Disaster Survival

Wildfire

Wildfires are a growing natural hazard in most regions of the United States, as more Americans are making their homes in woodland settings in or near forests, rural areas, or remote mountain sites. There, homeowners enjoy the beauty of the environment but face the very real danger of wildfire.

Wildfires often begin unnoticed. They spread quickly, igniting brush, trees, and homes. Reduce your risk by preparing now before wildfire strikes. Meet with your family to decide what to do and where to go if wildfires threaten your area.

What is the Best Way to Prepare?

Create an emergency communications plan.
Choose an out-of-town contact your family can call or e-mail to check on each other should a disaster occur. Your contact should live far enough away that they would be unlikely to be directly affected by the same event, and they should know they are the chosen contact. Make sure every household member has that contact's, and each other's, e-mail addresses and telephone numbers. Your family should know that if telephones are not working, they need to be patient and try again later or try e-mail.

Establish a family meeting place.
Having a predetermined meeting place away from your home will save time and minimize confusion should your home be affected or the area evacuated. You may even want to make arrangements to stay with a family member or friend in case of an emergency. Be sure to include any pets in these plans, since pets are not permitted in shelters and some hotels will not accept them.

Create your family "Bug Out" Bag.
If you need to evacuate your home, having some essential supplies on hand will make you and your family more comfortable. Prepare a disaster “bug out” bag in an easy-to-carry container such as a backpack. Include first aid supplies, a change of clothing for each family member, a sleeping bag or bedroll, a flashlight, a battery powered radio and extra batteries, food and bottled water. It is also a good idea to include some cash and copies of important family documents such as birth certificates and insurance paperwork in your kit.

When to Go?
Wildfires aren't something like a hurricane or bad snowstorm that you ever want to consider staying behind and "weathering." If wildfires have been reported in your area, you need to pay close attention to news broadcasts.

Depending on the exact location of the fires and how fast they're moving you MAY have time to:

  • Use your extension ladder, hose, and Barricade Fire-Blocking Gel to spray down your exterior roof and walls.
  • Turn off gas and propane tanks.
  • Go around the inside of your house, close all of the windows, and take down the drapes.
  • Fill up some buckets with water and place them around the perimeter of your yard. That way if any wayward embers drift onto your property, you can douse them before they catch your lawn on fire.
  • Bring pets inside and confine them to one room.

However, the instant you can see flames or hear the evacuation order sounding for your street, you need listen carefully to all directions and follow all evacuation orders.

Always Have Two Ways Out

Everyone should always know the route they would take to evacuate from a disaster. But if you live in an area at risk for wildfires you should know at least two ways out. What if there aren't two ways? You may want to get together with your neighbors and lobby the officials in your town about constructing some sort of alternate route. There have been a number of wildfires where people died because they the only road out of their canyon or sub-division was blocked by the flames.

Tips to Prepare your Household for a Wildfire

Proper wildfire-proofing strategies not only protect your own home, but also help to stop fires from getting started and spreading in the first place. Simple household maintenance techniques like pruning trees and shrubs and making sure to store flammable liquids properly can go along way in helping to protect your house from the devastating effects of a wildfire.

Yard
Your yard is a fuel source so create survivable space. Do the following within 30 feet of your home, 50 feet if you live in a heavily treed area or 100 feet if your home is on a hillside:

  • Introduce more native vegetation.
  • Remove dead or dying trees and shrubs.
  • Mow your lawn regularly and dispose promptly of cuttings and debris.
  • Maintain your irrigation system.

Trees
Keep trees and shrubs pruned. Branches should be a minimum of 6 feet from the ground and shrubs under trees should be no more than 18 inches high. Space trees at least 10 feet apart and branches should not extend over your roof or near your chimney.

Roof
Clear your roof and gutters of leaves and debris.

Use only non-combustible roofing material and use shingles with a high fire-resistant rating.

If a wildfire is approaching your home, wet your roof with a garden hose.

Exterior of House
Keep trees and shrubs pruned. Branches should be a minimum of 6 feet from the ground and shrubs under trees should be no more than 18 inches high. Space trees at least 10 feet apart and branches should not extend over your roof or near your chimney.

Move firewood and storage tanks 50 feet away from home and clear areas at least 10 feet around them.

Cover exterior walls with fire resistant materials like stucco, stone, or brick. If a wildfire is approaching, coat the exterior of your home with a spray-on fire retardant.

Do not connect wooden fencing directly to your home.

Box in the eaves, fascias, soffits and subfloors with fire resistant materials like treated wood, reducing the vent sizes. Apply ¼ inch non-combustible screening to all vent or eave openings.

Install spark arresters in chimneys.

Use double-paned or tempered glass for all exterior windows.

Defensible space - Create a 50-foot defensible space of grass or loosely spaced trees and shrubs free of underbrush. Within five feet of the house, use only nonflammable landscaping materials such as rocks, pavers, annuals and perennials with a high-moisture content.

Firebreaks - Well-placed driveways and sidewalks can serve as barriers to an approaching wild fire.

How Flammable Are Your Plants?

A plant's resistance to fire is typically a factor of its moisture content the flammability of its resin and oils and the density of its foliage. Aspens, locusts, succulents, and all kind of small flowering plants tend to be pretty good for these reasons, while firs, pines, and cedars tend to go up like torches. To find out how your vegetation stacks up see the plant list maintained by Firewise, the country's leading wildfire watchdog group.

Special Equipment

Hose and Extension Ladder
As wildfires approach an area, there's usually time for some last-minute added precautions to defend your property. A long, sturdy extension ladder and equivalent-length hose will allow you to climb up to your roof and wet it down, which can make a huge difference when the flames start licking at your neighbor's house.

The Incredible Diaper Gel
Of course, the one problem with water is that it eventually evaporates. Not so this remarkable high-tech product. Technically called Barricade Fire-Blocking Gel, it's made from the same polymer used as an absorbent in baby diapers. When it mixes with the water from your hose (it comes with a special attachment and spray nozzle), the absorbent creates a custard-like slime that sticks to your roof and walls and stays wet. Wildfire veterans throughout California and the West swear by the stuff.

Aftermath of Wildfires

It is important to remember that even after the fire is extinguished there are still devastating and equally as dangerous effects of wildfires. These aftereffects can include landslides, debris flows, and altered air and water quality. The risk of floods and debris flows increases due to the exposure of bare ground and the loss of vegetation. Even after the flames are out, make sure to listen to the authorities instructions before heading back to your house. The area may not be safe to return, so avoid injury and stay away until it is safe to come back.