Wildfire season is off to a ferocious start in California. The Angora wildfire in South Lake Tahoe has consumed hundreds of structures, and closer to home, a 128-acre blaze blackened the Stanford Dish hiking trail last week.
It’s a painful reminder that everyone is at risk during wildfire season, but there are things you can do to make your property less vulnerable.
The best way to protect your home against a wildfire is to create a 100-foot perimeter of “defensible space” around it, say firefighters.
Defensible space doesn’t have to be paved. It can be landscaped with irrigated lawns or fire-resistant and drought-tolerant native plants — the key is to create a fire break around your home. Trimming back tree branches, cleaning your roof of fallen leaves and debris, and keeping dry brush away from your house can make the difference between a house that can be saved, and one that goes up in flames.
The Woodside Fire Protection District offers a free booklet on the best landscaping plants for fire-safe gardens.
Information about identifying and eliminating fire hazards around your home are online at www.WoodsideFire.org; click on “Fire prevention” in the left-hand menu or call 851-1594.
Other resources for fire prevention information include:
•The California Department of Forestry has fire season updates, including Flash movies about creating 100 feet of defensible space around your home, at www.fire.ca.gov.
•The U.S. Fire Administration’s site at www.usfa.fema.gov; click on “Citizens.”
•The Fire Safe Council has a checklist for homeowners at www.FireSafeCouncil.org.
•The Menlo Park Fire Detection District’s Web site includes children’s links to sites with information about fire safety at www.menlofire.org or call the Menlo Park district’s fire prevention office at 688-8425.
The Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition offers independent information at www.Homefiresprinkler.org.
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