“Wildfires can occur for a number of reasons, including dry conditions, droughts and carefree use of fire inside a forest. Even the smallest of wildfires can cause devastating damage if left unchecked for a long while. Wildfires can burn trees, damage houses, harm nearby businesses and even take lives in rare occasions.
Wildfires are dangerous, to say the least, especially during windy days. Such fires can lead to financial, as well as emotional, scars if not dealt with appropriately.
In this short guide, you will learn steps to minimize risks from wildfires.
Dealing with a wildfire
After you get to know about the wildfire:
– Call 911 right away even if you think that someone has called already
– Follow your emergency plan and keep your disaster kit close
Before the fire reaches your house:
– Get your kids, physically handicapped members (if any) and pets out of the house
– Put on clothing meant to protect you
– Close each and every door in order to avoid draft
– Remove any item that has the tendency to burn, including wood files, tarp coverings, furniture, curtains, drapes, and BBQ grill
– Open the fireplace damper and shut the fireplace screen
– Close all basement vents, doors, windows, attic, pet doors, garage doors, etc.
– Shut down connections of gas and oil
– Fill water using your garden hose in containers, the pool, tubs, etc.
– Disable auto garage door opener (if any), so that even if power goes out, the garage can be opened using hands
– Close each and every blind, window covering and shutter
– Put a ladder against your house to get a clear view of the situation
– Get your car to the driveway and roll its windows up
– Put all your valuables in the car, also put any pets not already evacuated inside the car, too
When the fire passes:
– Check the house roof well to extinguish any ember sparks, roof fires etc.; also, check whether the attic has hidden sparks or not
– Make use of water put into hot tub, pool, containers, etc. to extinguish fire; also, in case power goes out, connect a hose to the water heater outlet
– Be sure to keep rechecking your house for sparks and smokes for the next few hours
In addition, it goes without saying that you should follow all instructions provided by your local authority with sincerity.”