Prepare Your Home for a Wildfire

Fires can be a daunting natural disaster, and are becoming more common every year in California and in Santa Barbara. It’s vital to make sure that your home is prepared for possible wildfires, especially if you live in the foothills or wildfire territory. According to the Smokey Bear Wildfire Prevention Campaign, here are seven ways you can help prepare your house in case of a wildfire.

• 1. Keep flammable items away from home. Move lawn mowers, wood piles, and furniture at least 30 feet away from the house.
• 2. Maintain the gutters. Keep roofs, gutters, decks clean of leave and flammable debris.
• 3. Get rid of flammable plants within five feet of the home and replace with non-flammable materials like stones or dirt.
• 4. Cut down tree branches that hang over your home.
• 5. Keep lawns watered or mowed. If you are saving water, remove dead lawn.
• 6. Trim tree branches up to 10 feet off the ground.
• 7. Have ⅛ inch metal mesh screens over vents and under decks to stop ember intrusion.

Keeping the surrounding area of your home free of debris and other flammable items will help prepare your home in case of a wildfire. Natural disasters can happen at any time; it’s important to make sure your home is ready. For even more ideas, take a look at the Preparedness Tips provided by the the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.