May 15, 2014 – In the past few days, a number of communities across San Diego County in southern California have been affected by extensive wildfire activity that has scorched more than 9,000 acres and burned at least 30 homes, according to news reports. In some areas, thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate their homes. As high-fire danger warnings continue across Southern California, wildfire safety experts from the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Firewise® Communities Program and the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ (IAFC) Ready, Set, Go! (RSG) Program encourage residents to prepare their homes for a wildfire, maintain a situational awareness of the fires and evacuate promptly when told by authorities, or earlier if they feel threatened.
California residents typically brace for wildfire season in the summer and fall months, but a crippling drought, the worst in 100 years, record high temperatures and strong winds have been blamed for the increased amount of wildfire activity across the state so early in the year.
Steps outlined in the IAFC’s Ready, Set, Go! wildfire readiness program, in partnership with NFPA’s Firewise Communities Program, address the three major phases of wildfire safety – preparation, situational awareness and survival. Important steps for California residents include:
Ready: Take personal responsibility and prepare long before the threat of a wildfire so your home is ready in case of a fire. Create defensible space by clearing brush away from your home. Use fire-resistant landscaping and harden your home with fire-safe construction measures. Assemble emergency supplies and belongings in a safe spot. Make sure all residents residing within the home are on the same page, and know planned neighborhood escape routes.
Set: Get your family and home prepared at the onset of fire in your area. Gather family pets and have them prepared to evacuate. Pack your vehicle with your emergency items including medication and personal identification. Stay aware of the latest news from local media and your local fire department for updated information on the fire. Be prepared to evacuate.
Go: Do not linger once evacuation orders have been given. Leave early and stay gone until your area has been cleared for return by local officials. Promptly leaving your home and neighborhood clears roads for firefighters to get equipment in place. Prompt action also ensures you and your family’s safety.
Given the current level of wildfire activity in California, residents in high-risk areas should be prepared to be Ready, Set and Go!
Available Wildfire Experts:
- Lucian Deaton, Program Manager, NFPA Firewise and Fire Adapted Communities
- Cathy Prudhomme, Project Manager, NFPA Firewise and Fire Adapted Communities
- Shawn Stokes, IAFC Assistant Director, National Programs
- Caitlin McGuire, Program Manager, IAFC RSG! Program and Fire Adapted Communities
Subject Matter:
- Preparing residents to evacuate their home in the event of wildfire
- The magnitude of burned homes, property and natural resources in the U.S.
- How residents and communities can avoid falling victim
- How wildfire spreads and why we must adapt to living with wildfire
- Easy steps anyone can take to reduce the chances of wildfire damage
- Facts every resident should know about saving their property from wildfire
Property owners are reminded that they can take action to prepare home ignition zones by limiting the opportunity for wind-driven embers to ignite vulnerable roofs and decks or enter vents in homes and other structures.
Tips for California Residents to Prepare their Property:
- Clear leaves and other debris from gutters, eaves, porches and decks – and don’t use these areas for storage of flammable items. This helps prevent embers from igniting these materials.
- Keep lawns hydrated and maintained. Dry grass and shrubs are fuel for wildfire.
- Remove flammable materials within five feet of the home’s foundation and outbuildings, including garages and sheds. If it can catch fire, don’t let it touch the house, deck or wood fencing.
- Reduce vegetation surrounding the home’s perimeter from a 5 foot to 30 foot area and manage vegetation there to 200 feet or the property line, depending on the area’s wildfire risk. NFPA’s "basics of defensible space and the home ignition zone" page on the Firewise site provides these and other steps for homeowners to help them prepare homes/home landscapes to resist wildfire.
How Everyone Can Prepare for Wildfire:
- Obey outdoor burning bans. Don’t burn trash or debris when conditions are dry or windy.
- If camping or hunting, check local restrictions on campfires. Use an approved gas stove as an alternative for heating and cooking. If charcoal grills are permitted, use them only over fire proof surfaces such as asphalt or bare mineral soil.
- Dispose of smoking materials properly. Extinguish them in an ashtray. Don’t throw them out your window.
- Avoid parking and idling in dry grass. Catalytic converters can get hot enough to ignite the grass.
- Keep water available when using welding equipment or cutting torches around grass and brush. A five-gallon bucket of water with a tote sack in it could prove valuable if sparks or hot pieces of metal catch nearby grass on fire.
- Avoid setting hot chainsaws or other gas-powered equipment in dry grass, which could ignite after coming into contact with hot mufflers.
- Create a Family Disaster Plan that includes meeting locations and communications plans. To obtain a copy, visit your local RSG fire department or contact RSG! Program staff at RSG@iafc.org.
A comprehensive Firewise tips checklist and safety guidelines sheet for homeowners are also available.
Learn more about how to keep families safe and reduce homeowners’ risk for wildfire damage on NFPA’s wildfire division web page. Additionally, complimentary brochures, booklets, pamphlets, videos and much more can be found on the wildfire preparedness page and ordered online through NFPA’s online wildfire safety catalog.
About Firewise
The Firewise Communities Program encourages local solutions for safety by involving homeowners in taking individual responsibility for preparing their homes from the risk of wildfire. Firewise is a key component of Fire Adapted Communities – a collaborative approach that connects all those who play a role in wildfire education, planning and action with comprehensive resources to help reduce risk. The Firewise Communities Program and Fire Adapted Communities are sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association and USDA Forest Service.
About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building, and life safety. The mission of the international nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education. NFPA develops more than 300 codes and standards to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other hazards. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed at no cost at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.
About Ready, Set, Go! Program
The Ready, Set, Go! Program utilizes firefighters to teach individuals who live in high risk wildfire areas and the wildland-urban-interface (WUI) how to best prepare themselves and their properties against fire threats. Ready, Set, Go! works in a complimentary and collaborative fashion with Firewise and other existing wildland fire public education efforts. It amplifies their messages to individuals to better achieve the common goal we all share in fire-adapted communities. To learn more, visit www.wildlandfireRSG.org 
About IAFC
The IAFC represents the leadership of firefighters and emergency responders worldwide; our members are the world's leading experts in firefighting, emergency medical services, terrorism response, hazardous materials spills, natural disasters, search and rescue, and public safety policy. Since 1873, the IAFC has provided a forum for fire and emergency service leaders to exchange ideas, develop professionally and uncover the latest products and services available to first responders.
Contact: Lorraine Carli, NFPA Public Affairs: +1 617 984-7275