Evacuation, staying could cost your life!

All natural disasters are life-changing events. Being asked to evacuate can make us question the wisdom of our local government. In the case of wildfires, we also question the ability of fire fighters to save our precious homes. We ask ourselves, do they care? Will they really fight to save our homes or will the homes of someone else be more important? It’s a hard decision. One that should not be made under pressure. So lets examine the entire issue now.

First let’s examine where you are. Ask yourself these few questions. Have you made your home and property resistant to a wildfire? Have you eliminated all flammable materials from within 10 feet of your home? (Note that decks connected to your home should be considered part of the home) Are your roofing materials fire resistant? Have your removed pine needles and other debris from gutters and the roof? If open, have you covered gaps below decks or crawl spaces with metal window screening or other fire resistant materials? Have you removed, thinned, pruned trees and shrubs within 100 feet of the home? (Note: it‘s advised to prune lower limbs at least 8 feet from the ground) Have you removed all flammable materials from around your propane tank? Have you moved your firewood away from your home or other wooden structures? Does your home have an “easy to see” street address posted? Is your driveway free of obstacles that would prevent the entry of a large fire truck and additional fire fighting equipment?

If you answered yes to all these questions you have taken the biggest steps toward protecting your home from wildfire.

If your plan is to remain behind and protect your own home, your next step is to evaluate your ability to do just that. Please answer the following questions. Do you have training in firefighting? Do you own protective gear? Do you have an good supply of water that will not be effected by power outages? Do you have a partner to stay and help? Can you guarantee an escape route, should the wildfire overcome your property?

If you can’t answer all these questions with certainty then we should look at each aspect one at a time.

If you are not a certified fire fighter, what type of training can get you to that spot? Training varies a little from state to state but most of the training format is the same. Here is some training examples. 1- Fire Fighting Safety 2-Fire Fighting Fundamentals 3-Live Fire Training 4-Fire Fighter I Competencies 5-Local Training Needs 6-Wildland Fire Fighter (NWCG Type 2) 7-Operations Level Hazardous Materials Training 8-Fire Fighter II 9-Basic Command 10-Assessment 11-Certification Testing Becoming a certified fire fighter is hard intense work. An average home owner is certainly not qualified to handle the task without this training.

Owning your own turn-outs and additional fire gear would be “cool”. But keep in mind you’ll need all the gear! A yellow suit will be of little value without the extras and tanks of compressed air too. You can find vendors to sell you all these supplies, but can you endured the intense heat of a fire wearing this heavy obstructive gear? Can you physically or mentally withstand the strain? Are you sure you will not panic when the smoke becomes so thick and there is nothing around you but blackness? At that point you’ve lost your ability to run, it’s too late.

An never ending supply of water is essential in fighting a fire. That is why fire departments have tankers for bringing their own water supply to most rural fires. If you are using a public water system, the water will be shut off if power is lost in the area. You would be left with empty water hoses. That would be a disaster! Could you avoid that problem if you had your own well and generator? During a resent wildfire one community Fire Dept found themselves with no power and as the wildfire roared through it melted the generators. With no source of water locally their only choice was to relay tanker trucks in and out from another location. A private home owner would not have that option.

In any emergency situation it is advisable to have a “buddy”. Just common sense keeps us from allowing our children swim alone. Protecting your home is no different. To many things can go wrong, you must have a partner available. Now, the question who will you ask to be your buddy? Do you keep another family member from evacuating? Do you make an agreement with your neighbor so both of you stay? With a neighbor, the question of who’s home will you try to save first must be addressed. Yours or theirs? If your buddy is a loved one you should think long and hard about that life. Is your home more important to you than this person‘s life? That question sounds ridicules, right? If you are making the choice to stay behind and keep a partner with you, that is exactly what you are doing! Likewise, if you stay behind alone and don’t keep a partner you are asking your family this same question. Is their home more valuable than you? That’s a lot to ask of them if there is a tragedy. You would be asking your family to deal with the lose of their home, their husband/father and their financial security in the future.

Finally, can you count on your escape route if things go bad? How much time would you have to get out? Will the fire wrap around and take out a road in front of you? Can you guarantee your safe escape? Will your transportation even start if the fire robs it of oxygen?

No one can guarantee the behavior of a wildfire. Even the experts who have studied them for decades don’t have the answers. Many elements effect a fire. Weather, wind, terrain, even the fuel that the fire has already made it’s way through. Wildfires create their own weather patterns, and these remain unpredictable almost from minute to minute. Large, violent wildfire can create what is termed “fire whirls”. These are like tornados and they create vortices. Some whirls have hurled flaming logs and burning debris over huge distances. To an untrained person just reading about the behavior of a wildfire can be frightening. If wildfires were predictable and safe for even a home owner to fight, we would never loose a trained professional. But we all know that is not true. Many wonderful brave fire fighters have paid the highest price fighting to save forests and homes.

And finally ask yourself if your home is more valuable than the life of a fire fighter, police officer or other emergency personal? When you make the choice to stay you are quite literally putting these public servants in danger. They are all committed to keeping their fellowman safe and out of harm’s way. So if the fire approaches your home they will, in turn, try to save your life, and by doing so, risk their own. Wildfire is a huge tragedy all by it‘s self, but add to that the lose of human life and it becomes much more, almost unbearable.

Please prepare your home, organize an emergency plan and kit for your home and car, go over every aspects of the plan with your family and leave the fire fighting to the professionals. Your life is far to valuable to sacrifice! For a guideline to setting up a family emergency plan and kit contact Wildfire Recovery Assistance at (928) 532-5389

Is Your Home Protected From Wildfires?