Due to lack of rain and Sonoma County declaring a drought, there are concerns of wildfire season approaching early. Being prepared early is key to ensure everyone’s safety especially with Covid-19 still being active in our community.
Ways to prepare:
Sign up for emergency alerts and know what zone you live or work in:
SoCoEmergency.org– sign up for socoalerts and look up evacuation zone.
Nixle- text zip code to 888777
You can also purchase a NOAA weather radio, that sends out emergency broadcasts.
Have a Go bag packed:
Change of clothes, socks, shoes, light jacket, undergarments, something to sleep in, your ID, medication, incontinence items, facemasks, and sanitizing items (hand sanitizer and wipes). Keep this bag handy and easy to grab should you need to evacuate.
If you have pets have a Go bag ready for them:
a carrier or leash, food and bottle of water, any medication, potty pads or bags, or extra litter pan.
Create defensible space:
Creating and maintaining a defensible space is essential for increasing your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire. A defensible space is the buffer required for homeowners to create on their property between the structure and the plants, brush, and trees or other items surrounding the structure that could catch fire. This space is needed to slow the spread of wildfire and improves the safety of firefighters defending your home.
Remove all dead plants, grass, and weeds. Remove dead or dry leaves and pine needles from your yard, roof, and rain gutters. Trim trees regularly to keep branches 10 feet from other trees. Remove dead branches that hang over your roof. Relocate exposed woodpiles to 30 feet from structure unless they are completely covered in a fire-resistant material. Remove flammable plants and shrubs near windows. Remove vegetation and items that could catch fire from around and under decks.
Unfortunately, over the past few years Sonoma County has been hit hard with Wildfires, Red Flag warning and PSPS events. If there is one thing we can do as a community to help each other’s it to be prepare and make sure our family, friends and neighbors are also prepared early.
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