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PROTECT YOUR HOME

HOME/STRUCTURAL HARDENING
Home hardening or structural hardening describes actions taken to reduce the risk of ignition or combustion of your home. It typically refers to the use of fire-resistant building materials to construct or retrofit your home. Because approximately 1.4 million homes in California are located in high or very high fire hazard severity zones, home hardening is an important step towards becoming more resilient to wildfires. Hardening your home can help protect your home, property, and neighborhood in the event of a wildfire in your area.

DEFENSIBLE SPACE
IN YOUR YARD
Defensible space is the buffer that you are required to create on your property between your home and any combustible material that may surround it. Creating this buffer requires the purposeful selection, location, and maintenance of vegetation, including trees, shrubs, brush, and other plants. If you reside within an area that is at high risk of wildfires, maintaining defensible space should be part of your annual preparedness. This will give your home a better chance of survival in case of a wildfire and can potentially reduce the spread of fire.
PREPARE FOR WILDFIRE

EVACUATION PREPARATION
Learn more about how to thoroughly prepare plans and supplies for evacuation due to a wildfire. This will help you get ready to act as a fire approaches, teach you tips on how to best prepare your home before evacuation, and make sure you know when and where to evacuate. Always remember: Evacuate early and make sure to evacuate when told to do so by law enforcement! Learn about state evacuation terminology here.

PROTECTION STRATEGIES WHEN TRAPPED
Learn more about how to protect yourself if you are trapped by a wildfire. An approaching wildfire will be extremely loud, create extreme heat and smoke, and will likely evoke fear and panic. However, the active flame will pass. Generally, grassland burns for 10 minutes, brushland for 20 minutes and timberland for over an hour. If you find yourself about to be trapped by approaching flames, use these wilderness survival lessons to protect yourself.
Learn More:
Download the Wildfire Adaptation & Prevention Guide
Download the Evacuation Preparedness Card
MAKE YOUR PLANS

HOUSEHOLD
ACTION PLAN
Download and fill out a plan for your household to prepare for evacuation due to a wildfire. Plan for your evacuation route, emergency contacts, what you want to take with you, etc. This planning is key to ensure you and your family stay safe. Make sure to post the plan in a visible spot within your home!
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO HAVE THE WILDFIRE OUTREACH PROGRAM AT YOUR COMMUNITY EVENT:
Please Contact:
Brianne Logasa, Management Analyst
Johanna Read, Project Assistant
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