A wildfire occurs every single year. This is an unintentional burning of forests in dry areas like Santa Barbara, California. It can be very terrifying to residents as it can affect a large portion of land and if unlucky, can cause severe damage to a home. But knowing what to do in case a wildfire occurs in your area, can keep you, your family, and your home protected.

Staying Safe During A Wildfire

1. Prepare Your Home Before a Wildfire

Preparing your home before a wildfire occurs is the best way of protecting your home from wildfire damage.

Clean or remove debris in your gutters and downspouts. Remove any combustible materials like wood piles, newspaper, and dried leaves. Get a hose that is long enough to reach your entire home. These are just some of the things that you can do to protect your home from a wildfire. Moreover, if you are living in areas prone to wildfires, it is best to invest in insurance that covers wildfire damage.

2. Create an Evacuation and Communication Plan

Coordinate with the local officials and understand your wildfire risk. With that, create an evacuation plan that can keep you safe if there is a wildfire near your area. Moreover, talk to all the members of the family of how you will be communicating with each other (it could be using a cellphone, email or social media), if something worst happens.

3. When There is a “Fire Weather Watch”, Be Ready To Evacuate

A “Fire Weather Watch” is an alert that will let you know of the danger of fire conditions in your area. This is issued by the National Weather Service, predicting the fire condition in the next 12 to 72 hours.

When an alert is given, it is best to keep updated. You may watch the news on TV or coordinate with your local officials. Moreover, be completely prepared by filling your car with gas, having emergency food and clothing, and being ready to leave your home.

4. Reduce Your Exposure To Smoke

Wildfire smoke can be harmful when exposed for a long time. Because the smoke is a combination of gases and fine particles, it can cause eye and respiratory irritation and can trigger chronic lung and heart diseases. Thus, when a wildfire occurs near your home, make sure to close the door and windows and avoid indoor pollution like lighting candles and using a gas stove.

5. If An Evacuation Is Ordered, Leave Immediately

Leave your home as soon as the evacuation order is given. Don’t linger or wait any longer. If you want to avoid traffic, you may leave early.

According to NFPA, leaving your home and neighborhood promptly can clear out the road allowing the responding firefighters to set up their equipment to extinguish the fire and secure the safety of the residents.

6. Call 911 if Someone Gets Burned

If you or someone got burned during the wildfire, call 911 immediately. Make sure to seek help and allow medical professionals to handle wildfire burns with proper procedures.

Returning Home After A Wildfire

Seeing your home damaged by a wildfire can be traumatic and upsetting. You may have a lot of questions in mind about what to do next and how to deal with it. The information below will help you understand the things that you can do after a wildfire.

• Know When It is Safe To Return Home

If your area had an order of evacuation, you should coordinate with the public authorities to know if the road is free from any hazard brought by a wildfire. Even if your area did not receive an evacuation order, make sure to get an update on the fire status. Wildfires can spread to a maximum of 14.29 miles per hour. This simply means that the fire that is 100 miles far from you might be just next outside your home within seven hours if it is not extinguished immediately.  

You may speak with the fire department officials, fire marshals, or attending authority figures.

• Know When It is Safe To Re-enter

Once the officials announced that it is safe to return home, you will have to confirm if it is safe to re-enter your home. If your home was consumed or affected by a wildfire, the damage can be difficult to determine. You may have to consult with the local authorities or the responding firefighters.

If you think the structural integrity of your home has been affected, you may hire a professional to inspect it.

When it is safe to re-enter, you may need to check any damaged gas line, electrical, or plumbing system. Inspect for obvious cracks and damaged roofs.

• Call Family Member To Inform Them That You Are Safe

Letting your family members know that you are safe during a wildfire is important. Contact them right away. You may ask someone to call the other members of the family so you can take care of other important things like cleaning up, contacting your insurance company, and looking for a trusted restoration company.  

Wildfire Damaged Your Home

Fire can cause severe to your home. There is nothing more devastating than having fire damaging your property. Fortunately, there are certified fire damage restoration companies you can rely on and one of them is Superior Restoration Water Damage Corona. We are experts in dealing with fire-damaged homes and other related issues like water damage. Restoring your home to its normal and safe condition is our top priority. We understand how dreadful this situation is, and that is why we are committed to working in the finest and fastest possible way. Please contact Water Damage Corona, today.