Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
extra minute or two to rescue a pet or child from a burning building, provided you know ex-
actly where they are located so you don't waste precious time looking for them. A wet towel
held over the mouth and nose, drenched clothing, or a prepackaged gel-soaked blanket or hood
can also provide partial short-term protection from extreme heat.
Escape Ladders
Consider purchasing a dedicated coiled escape ladder for second-story and higher bedrooms
that do not have window access to a roof that is close enough to the ground to hang and jump.
The escape ladder should be mounted in a permanent box directly underneath an openable win-
dow (ensure that the window operates properly and has not been painted shut), and not buried
in the bottom of some closet.
Home Fire-Safe Checklist/Defensible Space
• Clear dead brush from property and trim tall weeds short.
• Clean rain gutters and roof valleys of all dead leaves and pine needles.
• Place smoke detectors in all bedrooms, hallways, kitchens and at least one on every
floor of your home.
• Put fire extinguishers in kitchen, garage, and workshop areas.
• Inspect and chimney sweep chimneys and woodstove pipes annually to prevent creo-
sote buildup. Creosote is a black greasy gooey layer that is combustible, and is a
common byproduct of incomplete wood combustion. Chimney fires destroy many
homes each year.
• Store flammables (gasoline, kerosene, oily rags, paint thinner, etc.) in approved
flame-resistant containers and away from living areas. Garage areas should have one-
hour fire-wall code-approved construction (typically 5/8-inch sheetrock wall cover-
ing, or better).
• Clear ground of pine needles, dead leaves, etc. Rake them once in the spring and let
them fall in the fall. Remove dead vegetation and debris.
• Thin out thick stands of shrubs and trees to create a separation.
• Remove “ladder fuels” like lower tree branches and shrubs underneath trees to keep
wildfire from climbing and spreading. Prune all dead limbs from trees.
• Plant “green zones” of moist, fire-resistant plants that will act as a barrier, and not
fuel for fires.
