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~ Outside ~
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- Design/Construction
- Consider installing residential sprinklers
- Build your home away from ridge tops, canyons and areas between high points on a ridge
- Build your home at least 30-100 feet from your property line
- Use fire resistant materials
- Enclose the underside of eaves, balconies and above ground decks with fire resistant materials
- Try to limit the size and number of windows in your home that face large areas of vegetation
- Install only dual-paned or triple-paned windows
- Make sure that electric service lines, fuse boxes and circuit breaker panels are installed and maintained as prescribed by code
- Contact qualified individuals to perform electrical maintenance and repairs
- Access
- Identify at least two exit routes from your neighborhood
- Construct roads that allow two-way traffic
- Design road width, grade and curves to allow access for large emergency vehicles
- Construct driveways to allow large emergency equipment to reach your house
- Design bridges to carry heavy emergency vehicles, including bulldozers carried on large trucks
- Post clear road signs to show traffic restrictions such as dead-end roads, and weight and height limitations
- Make sure dead-end roads, and long driveways have turn-around areas wide enough for emergency vehicles
- Construct turnouts along one-way roads
- Clear flammable vegetation at least 10 feet from roads and five feet from driveways
- Cut back overhanging tree branches above roads
- Construct fire barriers such as greenbelts
- Make sure that your street is named or numbered, and a sign is visibly posted at each street intersection
- Make sure that your street name and house number are not duplicated elsewhere in the county
- Post your house address at the beginning of your driveway, or on your house if it is easily visible from the road
- Roof
- Remove branches within 10 feet of your chimney and dead branches overhanging your roof
- Remove dead leaves and needles from your roof and gutters
- Install a fire resistant roof. Contact your local fire department for current roofing requirements
- Cover your chimney outlet and stovepipe with a nonflammable screen of 1/2 inch or smaller mesh
- Landscape
- Create a "defensible space" by removing all flammable vegetation at least 30 feet from all structures
- Never prune near power lines. Call your local utility company first
- Landscape with fire resistant plants
- On slopes or in high fire hazard areas remove flammable vegetation out to 100 feet or more
- Space native trees and shrubs at least 10 feet apart
- For trees taller than 18 feet, remove lower branches within six feet of the ground
- Maintain all plants by regularly watering, and by removing dead branches, leaves and needles
- Before planting trees close to any power line contact your local utility company to confirm the maximum tree height allowable for that location
- Yard
- Stack woodpiles at least 30 feet from all structures and remove vegetation within 10 feet of woodpiles
- Locate LPG tanks (butane and propane) at least 30 feet from any structure and maintain 10 feet of clearance
- Remove all stacks of construction materials, pine needles, leaves and other debris from your yard
- Contact your local fire department to see if open burning is allowed in your area; if so, obtain a burning permit
- Where burn barrels are allowed, clear flammable materials at least 10 feet around the barrel; cover the open top with a non-flammable screen with mesh no larger than 1/4 inch
- Emergency Water Supply
- Maintain an emergency water supply that meets fire department standards through one of the following:
- a community water/hydrant system!
- a cooperative emergency storage tank with neighbors!
- a minimum storage supply of 2,500 gallons on your property!
- Clearly mark all emergency water sources
- Create easy firefighter access to your closest emergency water source
- If your water comes from a well, consider an emergency generator to operate the pump during a power failure
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~ Inside ~
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- Kitchen
- Keep a working fire extinguisher in the kitchen
- Maintain electric and gas stoves in good operating condition
- Keep baking soda on hand to extinguish stove-top grease fires
- Turn the handles of pots and pans containing hot liquids away from the front of the stove
- Install curtains and towel holders away from burners on the stove
- Store matches and lighters out of the reach of children
- Make sure that electrical outlets are designed to handle appliance loads
- Living Room
- Install a screen in front of fireplace or wood stove
- Store the ashes from your fireplace (and barbecue) in a metal container and dispose of only when cold
- Clean fireplace chimneys and flues at least once a year INSIDE
- Hallway
- Install smoke detectors between living and sleeping areas
- Test smoke detectors monthly and replace batteries twice a year, when clocks are changed in the spring and fall
- Install child safety plugs (caps) on all electrical outlets
- Replace electrical cords that do not work properly, have loose connections, or are frayed
- Bedroom
- If you sleep with the door closed, install a smoke detector in the bedroom
- Turn off electric blankets and other electrical appliances when not in use
- Do not smoke in bed
- If you have security bars on your windows or doors, be sure they have an approved quick-release mechanism so you and your family can get out in the event of a fire
- Bathroom
- Disconnect appliances such as curling irons and hair dryers when done; store in a safe location until cool
- Keep items such as towels away from wall and floor heaters
- Garage
- Mount a working fire extinguisher in the garage
- Have tools such as a shovel, hoe, rake and bucket available for use in a wildfire emergency
- Install a solid door with self-closing hinges between living areas and the garage
- Dispose of oily rags in ® (Underwriters Laboratories) approved metal containers
- Store all combustibles away from ignition sources such as water heaters
- Disconnect electrical tools and appliances when not in use
- Allow hot tools such as glue guns and soldering irons to cool before storing
- Properly store flammable liquids in approved containers and away from ignition sources such as pilot lights Disaster Preparedness
- Disaster Preparedness
- Maintain at least a three-day supply of drinking water, and food that does not require refrigeration and generally does not need cooking
- Maintain a portable radio, flashlight, emergency cooking equipment, portable lanterns and batteries
- Maintain first aid supplies to treat the injured until help arrives
- Keep a list of valuables to take with you in an emergency; if possible, store these valuables together
- Make sure that all family members are ready to protect themselves with STOP, DROP AND ROLL
- For safety, securely attach all water heaters and furniture such as cabinets and bookshelves to walls
- Have a contingency plan to enable family members to contact each other. Establish a family/friend phone tree
- Designate an emergency meeting place outside your home
- Practice emergency exit drills in the house (EDITH) regularly
- Outdoor cooking appliances such as barbecues should never be taken indoors for use as heaters
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