Fire Preparedness Tips from Jannike Allen

At our May meeting, Granger Jannike Allen gave a presentation entitled Prepping You and Your Home for Wildfire in California.

Click here to view or download a copy of her presentation.

Here are some tips she shared:

Living with Fire
Jannike encouraged us to change our attitudes and learn about fire ecology.
Our local vegetation needs low intensity fire in order to be healthy.
Controlled/prescribed burns are beneficial, and although the smoke is still a nuisance, it is better than the smoke from a mega-fire.
Check purpleair.com for the latest information on air quality.
Buy N-95 and MERV-13 filters now before there is a spike in demand.
Get an air purifier or create one with a box fan and a MERV-13 filter.

Evacuation Prep
Freeze extra ice to fill your fridge when the power is out.
Place a penny on top of frozen container of water. If the penny falls to the bottom, you might want to think about the quality of your frozen food because the power would have been off for quite a while.
5 P’s for Evacuation: people, prescriptions, papers, personal needs (a Go Bag), priceless items.
·Check your insurance to see if it is up-to-date. Do a video walk-through of your home. Back up documents to Cloud storage.

Fire Prevention
Heed Red Flag Warnings. This happens when there are strong winds, low relative humidity, and dry fuels. Generally speaking, it is better to mow in the morning when the relative humidity is higher.
Pay attention to local emergency alerts. Watch Duty is a good app.
Have a home assessment done by local professionals.
Develop good neighborhood relationships and contact information.
Have a reflective address sign.
If you have to evacuate, leave hoses and ladders out for firefighters to use.
Reducing Home Ignition
Reduce wildfire risk by working from your home outward.
Upgrade vulnerable components like attic vents. Use 1/8” or 1/16” wire mesh to keep flying embers out of the attic.
Develop good maintenance habits like clearing gutter of leaves and needles.
Be smart about landscaping—reduce ladder fuels and debris.

Further Resources