Wildfires started spreading all over the world threatening our homes and safety. Now more than ever it’s vital for our lives and our loved ones’ to learn what to do when we are exposed to these catastrophic fires.
Remember that in these situations your safety as well as your family’s, comes first, your material things can easily be replaced, however your lives can’t.
So, here we are going to go through exactly what you need to consider and the actions you must take in order to stay safe.
1. When officials tell you to evacuate your house, don’t overthink it, just do it, fires tend to spread VERY fast.
2. Fires start from “insignificant” flames, maybe just a small camp fire left unattended, but they can turn out to be deadly. And so when you see one alert the authorities. It’s the best way to handle it.
3. Turn on the lights inside and outside your home, it will be easier to spot it in case of heavy smoke and critical for visibility.
4. Make your house safe from burning by: moving furniture away from windows and doors, make time to rake dead leaves from near your house, move the patio, the toys, doormats from outside and put it in the garage or inside the house.
5. In case of evacuation, leave your gates open, leave some buckets filled with water outside and a ladder near the roof. That way you will make it easier for the firefighters.
6. Wet down your roof with some sprinklers, but don’t leave them open because it can affect the water pressure.
7. Prepare evacuation kits and have them ready at any time.
8. Always check around the house for smoke, embers or even fire since it can rapidly reach to your house.
9. Shut off the gas or the propane tanks.
10. Turn off the A/C otherwise the smoke will easily reach inside your house.
12. Remove debris from the roof or from around the house.
Also, don’t forget to always have these things in your kit just in case you are forced to evacuate:
• A proper face mask
• A portable radio with batteries
• At least one flashlight
• Maps
• Copies of important documents
• Non-perishable foods
• Water
• Pet food in case you have any
Always remember: Safety first.
