General Safety Tips for the Wildfire Season

Folks in California will experience a rough year again, due to lack of rains. Much of California is already experiencing severe drought conditions due to low rainfall and snowpack. Most Californians are already concerned about wildfires season and many regions have already announced the beginning of wildfire season.

We Californians aren't the only ones threatened by wildfires; they can occur anywhere, and have been doing so all over the western United States and Canada, in Australia, too. It becomes an issue whenever there are drought conditions.

We should familiarize ourselves of how to prevent them, what to do when they happen, and the steps to take if a wildfire goes through or nearby your area.

Best Safety Tips for Preventing Wildfires

* Keep vehicles, equipment, gasoline, and other flammable containers or items off of grass and away from vegetation.
* Create a safe perimeter around your property as mandated by CalFire.
* Do not leave any flames unattended, be it a campfire, trash container fire, or indoor fireplace fire.
* Smokers, do not throw cigarette butts away. Rather, put them in non-flamable containers, ideally filled with water.
* Avoid fireworks. We know they are fun, however wildfires are not!
* Avoid anything that burns, sparks, or creates any sort of flame on windy days. Example: a weed whacker hitting gravel can create sparks and start a wildfire.

Safety Tips During a Wildfire

* Listen to your local radio or TV stations for the latest wildfire information. You can also look at local online resources.
* Be prepared to evacuate when recommended. As soon as you hear an evacuation notice, you should follow the command. That said you must be prepared well in advance!)
* Check your emergency supplies and replenish any missing or depleted items – including medications and medical supplies.
* Do your best to avoid smoke. Wear a maskface mask when you start to smell smoke or begin to cough. Masks are not a perfect solution, but they will help. Smoke is far more damaging to our lungs than we realize.

Safety Tips After a Wildfire

* If you have evacuated during the fire, please do not return until officials declare it safe.
* Avoid hotspots – even after a fire is put out. Hotspots can easily flare up again.
* Take additional steps to reduce being subject to smoke inhalation. Smoke lingers in the air for days after a wildfire. Smoke inhalation can have long lasting effects, especially for children.
* Beware of sliding hillsides and roads. Fires will erode the soil causing them to move in soaked conditions. Watch out for the next rain storm and rather evacuate than risk being swept away by a landslide.
* Make use of air purifiers to help clear the air of smoke and other particulates.

Creating a safe perimeter around your property will require special equipment that can cut through vegetation, brush and high grasses. Shamrock Landscape in Benicia does have all the equipment necessary for this task. You can connect with them here:

Shamrock Landscape Co
886 Rose Dr.
Benicia, CA 94510
(707) 647-2000
https://shamrocklandscape.net

http://www.citysearch.com/profile/666500910/benicia_ca/shamrock_landscape_co.html