How to Prepare For a Wild Fire

October signals the start of the fall holiday season and is one of the most exciting times of the year, complete with pumpkin carving, tasty treats, and caramel/pumpkin/apple spice drinks. October is also the most dangerous time of the year for wildfires here in California. With the unpredictable weather, intense winds, and dry air, wild fires are more likely to happen in October than any other month.

In fact, there are wildfires raging in Northern California right now. As resources pour into the region, we must remind ourselves that San Diego is also at risk.

The 5 biggest wild fires in San Diego history have happened in this month, and being educated on wildfires may save your life. As many might recall, in 2007 the Witch Creek-Guejito Fires power lines were manipulated by the Santa Ana winds causing a small fire to start. These strong winds carried all the way down to San Diego and by October 22^nd, there were large orange flames filling the sky. There was over 197,990 acres of San Diego lost and burned in this traffic wild fire. Whenever October comes around, it’s important to educate yourself on wildfire knowledge so that you can be prepared for this unpredictable month.

There are a few precautions that you can take to ensure that your home stays safe during this windy and dry month. If there is shrub or plants rolling around on your yard or doorstep, remove them. These little shrubs can lack moisture and can cause little fires to start. You can also make sure that your plants and trees get water regularly to ensure that your plants aren’t parched from the sun. Make sure to keep your lawn well groomed and short as possible to ensure that no lose weeds or shrubs get lost in the dry winds as well.

If a fire does start nearby, prepare the inside of your house and make sure that the air vents are clean. Little tiny embers that enter your home couple immediately start a fire inside of your home, causing major damage. Air vents are the best place for little hot pieces of ember to vacate until they start a fire that could destroy everything. Make sure your windows have screens on them as well, to ensure that those little pieces don’t enter your home.

Make sure that you are aware of your surroundings and pay attention to whether reports to keep yourself updated. If you love having plants and trees surrounding your home, make sure to plan accordingly. Space your trees and plants at least 5-10 feet a part to plan for future events, because if these plants are spread out, when they grow they will not brush up against each other. If these dry plants do rub against each other, it could immediately start a wild fire.

One last tip to keep your home safe form wild fires, is to make sure that you have a strong roof, because roves are typically one of the most vulnerable places of your house that could easily contribute to a wild fire.

Protect yourself and your home from wild fires this October, and enjoy the crisp breeze and fresh smell of pumpkin in the air, instead of fire.