Protect Your Home

Will your home survive a wildfire? Rate It!

Nearly every state has been devastated by wildfires in the last centruy. More than 140,000 wildfires occur on average each year. Since 1990, more than 900 homes have been destroyed each year by wildfires.

You and Your Local Fire Department

In a wildfire, your local fire deparment has two priorities - to remove you and your family from harm's way and to stop the progression of the wildfire. If your home happens to be in the wildfire's path, they may or may not be able to protect it- there are simply no guarantees. Consequently, you may want to take action before a fire starts to potentially increase the chances that your home will survive a wildfire.

First you need to take a "test" and see just how Firewise you are? That means, how is your home protected currently? This is a quick questionaire, only 10 questions.

Got a Bad Rating?  Fix It!

So. what can you do to protect yourself, your home and porperty from wildfires? This guide will help you understand why your home is at risk and how you can reduce the risk to your home and property.

There is also a game you can play to check the survivability of your home. You will need to click on the Preparing a Home for Wildfire Season located on the page that comes up.

Approaching Wildfires

Most of the time if a wildfire gets very close to your community, an evacuation will be ordered. Here are some tips to help you prepare yourself and your home for the on-coming wildfire. You should not try to put the wildifre out yourself. Civilians have tried to fight wildfire and have not only put themselves in jepordy, but also those of trained firefighters.

All of this information, and more, is found at www.firewise.org.  You may want to take time and browse their site as well.