Wildfire Safety Tips

3/13/2018 (Permalink)

Wildfires are one of the most unpredictable and destructive disasters. In 2016 alone, there were over 60,000 wildfires reported in the United States. There are more chances of a wildfire affecting your home or business if they are close to grasslands. Unfortunately, you can’t fight back against a wildfire that is approaching your home or business, however, you are able to take steps beforehand to protect your home from wildfire.

Some of the things you can do to secure your home or business from a wildfire are:

• Clear combustible materials such as dried leaves.
• Cut down any tree limbs that are 15 feet or closer to the ground. This will help prevent the fire from spreading into your property’s tree line.
• Remove any vines or vegetation that is on the side of your house or business.
• Place any flammable lawn furniture in storage when not in use.
• Opt for non-flammable decor, such as gravel as opposed to wood chips.
• Create an emergency escape plan and talk to town officials about evacuation routes in the area

During a wildfire, prepare to evacuate. Here are some steps to protect your property when you evacuate:

• Moving furniture to the center of rooms and taking down drapes and curtains to prevent combustion.

• Closing all windows and doors to prevent drafts and reduce heat.

• Shutting off natural gas from its source.

• Turning on all lights in your property so that firefighters can more easily see it through smoke.

After a wildfire, only return to the property when it is safe and firefighters have declared it safe. Document the damage and remember to watch out for ash pits and hot spots since they can flare up without warning. Extinguish these ash pits and hot sports immediately if found. When documenting the damage, you should take photographs and video and write out a list documenting the damaged property then contact your insurance company to report the damage.

If you experience fire or water damage, please call SERVPRO of Alhambra at (626)283-5875!