AMERIND’s Safety Services Team is dedicated to sharing knowledge, identifying risks and removing hazards in
Tribal communities. Our comprehensive safety services include wildfire safety training and defensible space risk
consultation. We are committed to helping you keep your family, home, community and organization safe.
For more information, email the AMERIND Safety Services team at SafetyServicesTeam@amerind.com or call
800.352.3496. To protect yourself from wildfires, please review these important fire safety tips:
Before a Wildfire Threaten
SAFEGUARD YOUR HOME
- Clear leaves and other debris from gutters, eaves, porches and decks to prevent embers from igniting your home.
- Remove dead vegetation and other items from under your deck or porch and from within 10 ft. of the home.
- Screen or box-in areas below patios and decks with wire mesh to prevent debris and combustible materials from accumulating.
- Remove flammable materials (firewood stacks, propane tanks) within 30 ft. of the foundation of your home and outbuildings, including garages and sheds. Don’t let anything that can catch fire touch your house, deck or porch.
- Prune trees so the lowest branches are 6 to 10 ft. from the ground. Wildfire can spread to treetops.
- Keep your lawn hydrated and maintained. If it is brown, cut it down to reduce fire intensity. Dry grass and shrubs are fuel for wildfire.
- Don’t let debris and lawn cuttings linger. Dispose of these items quickly to reduce fuel for fire.
- Inspect shingles or roof tiles. Replace or repair those that are loose or missing to prevent ember penetration.
- Cover exterior attic vents with metal wire mesh no larger than 1/8 inch to prevent sparks from entering the home.
- Enclose under-eave and soffit vents or screens with metal mesh to prevent ember entry.
CREATE AN EMERGENCY PLAN
- Assemble an emergency supply kit and place it in a safe spot. Remember to include important documents, medications and personal identification.
- Develop an emergency evacuation plan and practice it with everyone in your home.
- Plan two ways out of your neighborhood and designate a meeting place.
LEARN ABOUT LOCAL PREPAREDNESS
- Contact your local planning/zoning office to find out if your home is in a high wildfire risk area and if there are local or county ordinances you should be following.
- If you are part of a homeowners’ association, work with the association to identify regulations that incorporate proven preparedness landscaping, home design and building material use.
- Talk to your local fire department about how to prepare, when to evacuate and the response you and your neighbors can expect in the event of a wildfire.
- Learn about wildfire risk reduction efforts, including how land management agencies use prescribed fire to
- manage local landscapes.
When a Wildfire Approaches
TAKE EVERY POSSIBLE PRECAUTION
- Stay aware of the latest news and updates from your local media and fire department. Get your family, home and pets prepared to evacuate.
- Place your emergency supply kit and other valuables in your vehicle.
- Move patio or deck furniture, cushions, door mats and potted plants in wooden containers either indoors or as far away from the home, shed and garage as possible.• Close and protect all openings to prevent embers from penetrating your home, including attic and basement doors and vents, windows, garage doors and pet doors.
- Connect garden hoses and fill pools, hot tubs, garbage cans, tubs and other large containers with water. Firefighters have been known to use the hoses to put out fires on rooftops.
- Leave as early as possible before you’re told to evacuate. Do not linger once evacuation orders have been given. Promptly leaving your home and neighborhood clears roads for firefighters to get equipment in place to fight the fire and helps ensure residents’ safety.
After a Wildfire Has Been Contained
STAY ALERT
- Continue to listen to news updates for more information. Return home only when authorities say it is safe.•
- Visit FEMA/Ready.gov for more information about dealing with the impact of wildfires after the emergency has passed.