Attention San Diego Homeowners: Santa Ana Winds Creating A Potential For Wildfires Expected this Week in San Diego -It’s Wildfire Season Again!
October 7th, 2008 categories: Local San Diego News You Can Use, San Diego Real Estate, San Diego Real Estate News, William's Life in San Diego Musings
Having endured two major wildfires that struck San Diego in 2003 and last year, it is essential that you as a San Diego homeowner are prepared for wildfires. San Diego Office of Emergency Services mailed out at great expense a booklet recently with suggestions on how to prepare for these potential lethal wildfires. If you didn’t get one or discarded it, I will give you the website information at the bottom of this post to obtain another one by going online and retrieving a copy.
Thousands of acres of land were burned in the last fires and it struck many homes and these homes were not just the ones in the back country. These fires spread by cinders that fly in the air and land on roofs, ignite any dry brush and as demonstrated in the last two fires, the fires are not selective as to neighborhoods. They indiscriminately can touch anyone , anywhere, even if you live right on the coast.
These suggested protections are for you safety, your family’s safety and most especially the safety of your home. Having fire or hazard insurance , while it may cover some or all of your property, can not guarantee you complete protection from loss. You can’t replace a loved one. Many homeowners involved in last years fires are still arguing with insurance companies to get settlement and rebuild. The best course of action is to try and protect yourself, your family and your homes from being lost to these potentially devastating fires. There is a lot you can do to help yourselves before the potential for fires strike.
Here are 10 good tips for your safety as well as creating a defensible space around your home during this dangerous season.
- Trim any dry brush away from anywhere around your home. Be thinking in terms of at least 100 feet out. Sparks fly and any thing less than this allows these sparks to land on your roof or other areas of your property that can catch fire.
- If you have a natural vegetation ( not what we think of in terms of landscaping) prune it down to no higher than 6 inches. Keep it low or remove all together down to the plain dirt would be even better.
- Carefully look at your trees. If they need pruned, now is the time to do that. Don’t wait. Do it now. If these trees overhang the driveway or if you can’t get them trimmed back sufficiently for emergency vehicles to enter, considering removing them altogether. Trees to close to your home add the potential of fuel to any fire.
- If you have used wood chips for your mulch areas around the house, remember this wood can ignite. Use rock mulch or replace the wood mulch with the new synthetic mulch that doesn’t burn. It looks good and doesn’t dry out like wood. This is an easy area to overlook. The sparks fly and if they get down into the old dry wood chips, you are creating a perfect environment for fire.
- Even if you have a tile roof but have gutters that may be full of old leaves or combustible debris, you are not safe. If the sparks land there, there is a good chance that your home can catch fire, even with the tile roof. Think about it, there is wood all around it and if the gutters are on file, you home may be soon. The winds will carry the embers and you risk can losing your home. Clean the gutters out and be sure there is nothing in them.
- Check around your home for things stored or stacked near it. Are these things flammable? If they are, they probably will burn with embers that can land on them. Clear away anything that can burn as it probably will. All these items are additional fuel that can put your home at risk.
- Be sure to register your phones ( yes, not only your home phone but your cell phone as well) for the Alert San Diego emergency notification system.
- Talk to your neighbors and help them to take these same actions. Help them understand that the best defense against the potential for wildfires burning in your neighborhood is a strong defense and you can help them understand the importance of taking these actions. All together, you can help protect your neighborhood. Clear thinking and ACTION is essential.
- Remove outdoor furnishings that are close to the home or under windows. If they catch fire, the heat can break the glass and risk fire on the inside.
- Last but critically important. Know where you important papers are in the house. Get these organized NOW so that if you have to evacuate, you can get your hands on them quickly. This is so essential and it is the very least you can do now, while you have the time to think this through. If you had an hour to leave your home, you will have no time to locate them. So organize things now and be ready for a fast exit should the need arise. During this season, it is essential that you think of your family’s survival and comfort if you have to flee. Having each member of the household prepare a bag of essentials that they can just pick and put in the car would save a lot of time. You know what the essentials are, so I am not going to list them here. A few clothes,shoes, socks and underwear are obvious. But how about medications, important documents, precious keep sakes, family photos, checkbooks, jewelry,your computer,etc. The time to think of all this is NOW.
There is much to be done. Don’t wait till the fires become eminent. Do at least these things now!
These are some ideas of ways for YOU to help minimize the probably of a wildfire burning down your home and the need to evacuate. Being a REALTOR, when you want to sell a home, I help you Stand Out in the crowd and get it sold. In the case of doing your part in protecting your home from wildfires, if you take these actions, you might be one of the lucky ones and have a home that is left standing after the fires. You can help your own home ‘Stand Out’ in the crowd. And that of your neighbors. Having been through 2 of these fires and once even evacuated, I can only help you with some of the ideas. You must do or hire someone to do these most important things. So don’t risk your home, your own safety or those you love. At least do the measures above to help provide for your safety.
PS. If you have a pet, and that is any kind of pet, please think about their safety as well. They can not fend for themselves. They can suffocate from smoke just like us humans. Now think about this. If your pets are in a cage, a carrier or just home in their natural place, if the home catches fire or even just has a lot of smoke, please be sure you can get them to safety. Don’t forget, they are one of the family too!
There is also much more that you can do. In an ensuing post, I will provide you a list of ways to fire retard your home and property that can add yet another layer of fire protection for your home. These fire retarding measure will take some time but worth the effort. The fire season comes annually and you should be thinking both short term and the longer term. Living in areas with a potential for wildfires means that you must be proactive. It is important for yourself and those you care about.
Please take this seriously! The life and home you save may be your own.
