FIRE-WISE YOUR HOME Many of today’s homes are in wooded subdivisions. This scenario
is what rural firefighters term a Wildland/Urban Interface. Preliminary actions on your
part, will make your home more capable of surviving a wildfire. These
Protecting your home by undertaking the following procedure is known as
making your home "Fire-Wise." These procedures should become part
of your home’s strategy and daily consciousness. The concept is to make your home less inviting to a fire.
Consider fire as a living, breathing creature. It consumes fuel and oxygen
and gives off heat and light. The more fuel and oxygen it has to consume, the
bigger it will grow. Bigger fires create bigger problems. If you reduce the
available fuel to the point that it can no longer sustain itself, the fire
will go out, or at the very least will become small enough to be more easily
managed and extinguished. Fire-Wise steps: 1) Seal all openings, (gables,
soffits, under decking) with 1\8" or smaller wire mesh. 2) Remove all burnable debris within a thirty to sixty
foot radius around structures. 3) Remove tree limbs below six feet and within a thirty to
sixty foot radius around all structures. Remove limbs that overhang or come
in contact with the structure. 4) Remove all dead limbs and overgrown shrubbery near
buildings. Remember to clean dead leaves from under foundation plantings. 5) Clean leaves and pine straw from gutters and roof. 6) Skirt under homes and decks. 7) Install non-flammable roofing and siding. 8) Clearly mark the septic tank. 9) Locate firewood, LPG tanks (liquefied petroleum gas),
diesel, gasoline and other fuel at least fifty feet away from buildings. 10) Install thermally insulated
double pane windows. 11) Keep grass cut around structures. 12) Keep 100 feet of water hose
readily available at each faucet. When the above
procedures are in place:
Prior to your
evacuation, time permitting:
Gerald lives with his wife, Lyn on their remote farm
in the Gerald wishes to acknowledge his training with the
fire service in
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Things To
Do This Season: Auto: Add extra water bottles. Home: Remove dead materials from shrubbery. |
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Tip: During tornado season: Prior to going to bed, get your
clothing ready. Include pocket knife, keys and personal information &
flashlight. |
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1998-2010 by Gerald Pinckard The material available through this site may be
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