How to protect your family, property from wildfires in Oklahoma
As wildfire season arrives, people can cut the risk of wildfire damaging their homes and yards by taking six steps before summer lands and keeping those safety habits in place through the fall.
Here are six ways to help prepare your home and yard for fire season, according to Shasta College's Master Gardener Leimone Waite, Cal Fire and officials from the California Office of Emergency Services.
Clean attics, garages and building exteriors and keep them clean in summer and autumn.
Remove dry leaves and pine needles from decks, roofs and gutters.
Thin and prune trees and shrubs located close to buildings and remove the clippings. Don't let grass or weeds grow higher than six inches tall.
Replace combustible landscaping with non-flammable materials. Use gravel mulch, rock or other hard-scaping material instead of bark.
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Clear anything that burns easily from a space five feet or wider around your house.
Remove shrubs, stacked wood and wood fencing, benches and arbors ― especially near windows.
Cut back tree branches that hang over roofs or near a chimney.
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Replace roofs, eaves, chimney screens, foundation vents, decks and anything not in good condition. 'Screens should be 1/8-inch or smaller metal mesh; 1/16-inch mesh is best,' Waite said.
House numbers help firefighters spot your address in an emergency, so opt for reflective and easy-to-see numbers in non-combustible materials.
Remove clutter from your driveway and make sure it's wide enough for fire engines and other emergency vehicles to use.
Cut away any low-hanging tree branches from over the driveway.
Make sure gates opens inward and are wide enough for emergency vehicles to pass through. Check your local fire codes for exact dimensions.
Test smoke detectors to make sure they work and their batteries are fresh.
Know how to use and maintain fire extinguishers. Keep them in quick reach in places fires often start, like kitchens. See the OES' fire extinguisher website at news.caloes.ca.gov/how-and-when-to-use-a-fire-extinguisher.
Create an emergency plan, including escape routes and where family members will gather outside if fire strikes.
Keep escape routes clutter free so people can leave quickly without tripping.
Pack an emergency bag with a phone list, first aid kit, pet supplies, cash, medications, extra car and house keys, three days' worth of water and non-perishable food and other items.
For comprehensive packing lists and evacuation planning information, see fire.ca.gov/prepare.
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: How to prepare your home for wildfire season in Oklahoma
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