Prepare your home for wildfires and evacuations
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY—Fire season has come in full force – from fast moving blazes across our state to record-setting heat and smoke clogging our skies – and it is more important than ever to be prepared.
The best place to begin preparations for wildfire is at home. Starting outside, CalFire recommends that homeowners create defensible space around their properties by removing dead and dry vegetation from roofs, gutters and decks. Cut back trees and limbs so that they are at least 10 feet away from any structure. If you have grass, weeds or brush on your property, cut and clear these fuels within 30-100 feet of your home.
Moving indoors, make sure that all your smoke alarms have fresh batteries and regularly check that they are in good working order. If you live in a zone at risk for fires, it is essential that you pack a go bag with everything that you would need in the case of an evacuation. If you have pets, make sure that you pack a go bag for them, too, and keep kennels or crates close by in case you need to leave home quickly.
Back your car into the driveway to help with quick loading of your belongings. Last but not least, consider collecting memorable items, photo albums, hard drives and other important keepsakes in a central, accessible location so that you can evacuate in a hurry.
Evacuation plan
With both the indoors and outdoors prepared, the next phase of preparation is to make a plan should you have to evacuate. Some things to consider: Where would you evacuate to in the event of a fire near your home? What route would you use to leave? If cell reception is disrupted, make sure to have an agreed-upon meeting point if members of your family work outside the home and are unable to make it home prior to an evacuation.
Lastly, the Contra Costa Community Warning System (CWS) has changed the caller ID used to issue alerts as a result of new federal rules. The old caller ID was 000-000-0000 and has been changed to 925-655-0195. To make sure you answer the phone for a CWS alert, add this number as a new contact in your mobile device and label it “Community Warning System.” Text alerts will continue to come from a five-digit short code.
To learn more about how to prepare for wildfires, visit cccfpd.org/ResidentsWildlandFireGuide.
Karen Mitchoff is Contra Costa County District IV supervisor. Email questions or comments to Mitchoff at supervisormitchoff@bos.cccounty.us