What To Do Before, During and After a Wildfire

Know your level of risk and what you can do to help try to protect your home and property. Some tips:

• Houses situated fewer than 15 feet apart are at higher risk from wildfires.
• Cover attic, eave and sub-floor vents with noncombustible screening.
• Seal the open edges of a barrel tile roof with grout to keep embers from blowing into your home.
• Install tempered glass or multilayered glazed panels in exterior windows, glass doors and skylights.
• Use fire-resistant siding materials.
• Avoid landscaping with combustible bark and wood-chip mulch.
• Plant native, fire-resistive vegetation whenever possible.
• Keep grass cut short and the 30-foot area around your home well watered.
• Remove all dry grass, brush, trees and dead leaves within at least 100 feet from your home to create “defensible space.”
• Store firewood and fuel sources at least 30 feet downhill from any structure.

If you’re warned of an approaching wildfire or see one coming, round up your family to be sure everyone is accounted for, then:

• Remove flammable materials like trash, furniture and vehicles from around your home.
• Shut off the gas.
• Be ready to soak roofs, shrubs and trees with water within 15 feet of buildings.
• Close all windows and doors, and remove window coverings such as curtains or blinds
• Fill pools, hot tubs, garbage cans or other large containers with water
• Disconnect automatic garage door openers so if the power goes out, you can still open the door.
• Monitor news reports so you know how much danger you're facing.
• Keep lights on for visibility in smoky conditions. Distribute flashlights.
• If you must leave, follow routes dictated by local officials. Wildfires can quickly change directions and your planned escape route may be blocked.

• Roll up the windows and close air vents.
• Drive slowly with the headlights on.
• If you have to stop, turn the engine off, but keep the headlights on. Get on the floor, and cover up with a blanket.
• Don't run. By letting air in the car, the temperature will increase, and smoke and sparks may enter.

• Go somewhere that is offers less fuel for the fire such as the backside of a mountain. Avoid canyons and saddles.
• If you're close to a road, lie down in a ditch and cover yourself with anything that can protect you from the heat.

• Don't return home until you're told it's safe to do so.
• Check roofs and attics for hot spots or sparks and extinguish them immediately. Continue checking every few hours for a day.
• Use caution when entering a building and avoid all standing water. It may have an electrical charge.
• Check over all utilities and consult a professional if damage has been done.

Wildfire risks can vary from region to region. To help property owners better understand their risks, the Institute for Business and Home Safety developed the following guides. Each guide contains a property assessment form, including a cost estimate tool, which will help home and business owners assess their wildfire risk and prioritize necessary retrofit projects.

• Central U.S. (IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MO, NE, OH)
• Florida
• Great Lakes (MI, MN, WI)
• Mid-Atlantic & Northeast (CT, DE, ME, MD, NH, NY, PA, RI, WV, VT, VA)
• Pacific Northwest (ID, Northern CA, OR, WA)
• Rocky Mountain (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY)
• Southern California
• Southeast (AL, AR, GA, MS, NC, SC, TN)
• Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK, TX)

The checklist below will help you assess the vulnerability of your property and its surroundings to wildfire. Each section is listed in order of importance as it relates to wildfire protection. After you assess your risk, use the action and cost sections to help you prioritize ways to better protect your home or business.

Wildfire Cost & Action Guide

A quick reference guide to creating defensible space, and mitigating wildfire risk around your home or business. 

• Reducing Wildfire Risk for Homeowners
• Reducing Wildfire Risk for Businessowners
• Reducing Wildfire Risk for Service Stations
• Reducing Wildfire Risk for Farm and Ranch