• If there is threat of a wildfire, warnings will be issued. Listen to your local radio or TV news program for the latest information.
• Evacuate immediately, if you are told to do so. Take your disaster supplies kit with you and begin to implement the disaster preparedness plan you have already developed.
• Back your car into the garage or park in an open space, facing the direction of the escape route. Shut the car doors and roll up the windows.
• If possible, confine your pets to one room so they'll be easier to find in case you have to evacuate.
• Secure the inside of your home. Close windows, vents, doors, blinds and drapes. Open fireplace dampers and close screens.
• Move flammable furniture away from windows to the center of the room.
• Turn a light on in each room to increase the visibility of your home in heavy smoke.
• Secure the outside of the house: seal attic and ground vents with plywood; turn off propane tanks; put patio furniture inside; connect garden hoses to taps; set up a portable generator; water the shrubs close to the house.
Tips for new home construction
• Build your home away from ridge tops, canyons and areas between high points of a ridge.
• Build your home at least 30 feet from your property line.
• Use fire-resistant building materials.
• Enclose the underside of balconies and above-ground decks with fire-resistant materials.
• Limit the size and number of windows that face large areas of vegetation.
• Install dual- or triple-paned windows.
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