Dry Weather Bringing A Longer Fire Season: 13 Tips Homeowners Should Know
KPIX 5 Morning Weather Anchor Roberta Gonzales answers the questions you never get to ask on-air.
Q: Roberta; do you have any tips for homeowners on this ongoing Fire Season? - Pat Sullivan, San Jose
A: Pat, you are spot on! It is an ongoing fire season. Cal Fire tells me, because of the 4-year drought, fire season is now 24/7, 12 months a year. Here are helpful tips and reminders for all of us living in and around the Bay Area. Let's break it down into three parts, BEFORE, DURING and AFTER. These tips come with the assistance of The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH), a nonprofit consumer advocate organization (which I personally find extremely helpful!).
Before
- Create your disaster safety kit to prepare for possible evacuation
- Know your family's fire disaster plan
- Know what is covered in your insurance policy, and what additional coverage you may need
- Check landscape for fuels that could lead flames to your home or that can become ignited, and take time to create a fire-resistant landscape
- Clean your gutters, eaves, and roof regularly
- Install spark arrestors in all chimneys
- Install metal screening that blocks embers from entering your buildings
- Identify an emergency water supply within 1,000 feet of your home
During
If under a wildfire threat,
- Heed the warnings of local officials regarding when to evacuate
- Only remove dead leaves or vegetation when local garbage collection services will have time to pick up the debris
- Burn vegetation only while following local requirements to do so
After
When returning to your home after a wildfire, keep the following in mind:
- Only return when local officials permit you to do so, the area may still be under the threat of wildfire
- Contact your insurance company regarding any possible damage, and take pictures of any and all damage
I would love to hear from you! Please send weather questions, observations and photos to me, Gonzales@kpix.cbs.com and I look forward to hearing from you!