September marks National Preparedness Month, the annual campaign that reminds us that preparing for emergencies and disasters can keep us, our families and our communities safe. In Sonoma County, it’s a good time to make sure you are prepared for peak wildfire season.
My family and I are all too familiar with the worst case scenario. We lost our home in the Tubbs fire in October of 2017 and went through the process of rebuilding. We also evacuated during the 2019 Kincaid fire, and almost had to evacuate during the the Glass Fire of 2020. It was a stressful few years, but in the end, there is still nowhere I’d rather live than in Sonoma County. It helps to manage the stress by being prepared…
PREPARE YOURSELF
Stay alert
Follow Sonoma County Fire District on Facebook and Instagram so you are aware of Red Flag Warnings which signify high fire danger
Make sure you are signed up for alerts from SoCo Alert and Nixle
Download WatchDuty app
Know your evacuation zone
By being prepared to evacuate early, you give your family the best chance of surviving a wildland fire. You also help firefighters by keeping roads clear of congestion, enabling them to move more freely and do their job in a safer environment. To learn what your home and work evacuation zones are, simply go HERE.
Have a Go-Bag ready
Three-day supply of water (one gallon per person, per day) and non-perishable food for the family (3 day supply).
Non-perishable food for all family members and pets (three-day supply).
First aid kit and sanitation supplies.
Flashlight, battery-powered radio, and extra batteries.
An extra set of car keys, credit cards, cash, or traveler’s checks.
Extra eyeglasses, contact lenses, prescriptions, and medications.
Important family documents and contact numbers, including insurance documents.
Map marked with evacuation routes.
Easily carried valuables and irreplaceable items.
Personal electronic devices and chargers.
Keep a pair of old shoes and a flashlight handy in case of a sudden evacuation at night.
PREPARE YOUR PROPERTY
Improve access and egress
Install approved address numbers and street signs.
Maintain clearance around fire hydrants.
Maintain access roads with a minimum of 10 feet of clearance on either side to allow emergency vehicles to pass.
Ensure that all gates can open without power to accommodate emergency equipment.
Trim overhanging trees up to 15 feet from the ground in order to allow emergency vehicles to pass underneath.
The Immediate Zone (0-5 ft from home)
Use non-combustible “hardscaping” materials such as rock, stone pavers, cement, bare earth, gravel, or sand.
Remove all plants and shrubs near windows.
Remove leaves and needles from your roof and rain gutters.
Clear vegetation and items that could catch fire from around and under decks.
Remove dead branches that overhang or touch your roof. Keep branches 10 feet away from your chimney.
Remove all leaves, needles, or other debris that fall in this zone.
The Intermediate Zone (5-30 ft from home)
Remove all dead plants, grass, and weeds.
Actively prune live shrubs.
Relocate woodpiles outside of this zone.
Avoid extensive use of mulch, which can convey fire to the house.
Limit fallen leaves, needles, twigs, bark, cones, and small branches to a depth of 2 inches.
Move all gas and propane tanks outside of this zone.
The Extended Zone (30-100 ft from home)
Create islands of vegetation with horizontal spacing between shrubs and trees.
Create vertical spacing between grass, shrubs, and trees.
Choose low-growing, irrigated, non-woody plants such as vegetables, succulents, erosion-control grasses, flowers, or lawns to create landscaping in this zone.
Mow or remove dead or dried vegetation.
Trim trees regularly to maintain a minimum of 10 feet of clearance between branches of adjoining trees or shrubs.
Mow any grass to a maximum height of 4 inches.
To protect water quality, maintain vegetation near waterways; do not clear to bare soil. Vegetation removal can cause soil erosion that damages streams, especially on steep slopes. Remove dead trees and shrubs, leaving the roots in place, if practical.
Break up dense shrub cover on slopes by creating small islands of pruned shrubs staggered horizontally.
Prior to evacuation, pull patio furniture, play sets, and gas BBQ tanks as far as possible from any structure, and bring cushions inside.
Click to download Ready, Set, GO! booklet
Information c/o FireSafe.org
