Gov. Jerry Brown has declared May 3-9 Wildfire Awareness Week, officials said Tuesday.
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During this week, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is reminding all Californians of the role they play in preparing for and preventing wildfires.
“We anticipate another active fire year as above normal wildland fire potential exists across the north central United States and above normal wildland fire potential will threaten many parts of the West this summer,” said Chief Tidwell, in a news release.
There has been a 75-percent increase in wildfires this year because of drought conditions, and more than 967 reported fires since Jan. 1, according to CalFire.
With these numbers in mind, state officials are asking Californians to remember “Ready, Set, Go!”
The Los Angeles County Fire Department officials say it’s important to be ready and create a defensible space.
Removing all flammable vegetation within 30 feet of a home, or 50 feet if the house is in a high hazard zone, is an important factor in reducing risk of a home being destroyed by a wildfire. Another important step is to harden the house, for example cutting back trees within 10 feet of a chimney and removing dead pine needles from a roof.
The most valuable step, and while it may seem obvious, is to close all doors and windows.
Being set means to prepare and have a disaster plan.
Officials recommend to have multiple emergency kits: a personal kit to keep all times, a home kit which is a larger kit that you can keep at home, a mobile kit for a car, and a service animal kit for a pet in the event of a disaster. Also, at least one person in a household should know how to turn off the gas and water.
In the event of an evacuation, officials recommend to keep these six “P’s” in mind:
- People and pets
- Papers, phone numbers, and important documents
- Prescriptions, vitamins, and eyeglasses
- Pictures and irreplaceable memorabilia
- Personal computers, information on hard drives and disks
- Plastic (credit cards and ATM cards) and cash
When a wildfire occurs, residents are urged to go and evacuate early and put the evacuation plan in effect. Do not wait until last minute to evacuate. Officials say it is best to have a relative in another city that you can go to in the event of an evacuation.
For more information on how to make a home more resistant to wildfires and ensure
families are ready to evacuate early and safely when a wildfire happens go to www.ReadyForWildfire.org.
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