Guest Column: Red Flag Fire Warning

By The Malibu Times · Thu Oct 26 2017

We are currently under severe fire conditions. Homeowners living in and near the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) are advised to do the following:

• Listen to local radio or TV stations for updated emergency information. Follow instructions of local officials if a wildfire develops. Plan an escape route. It may be different than you expect; wildland fires can change direction and speed up suddenly.
• If a fire develops and you believe the fire is too close to your location, evacuate immediately. (The fire may be moving too fast for officials to issue evacuation notifications.) Choose a route away from the fire and other potential fire hazards.
• Park your car in an open space, facing the direction of escape. Roll up the windows, and shut car door and sunroof. Close garage windows and doors. Remove all obstacles for a quick escape.
• Open access gates to your property while you still have time and electricity to operate automatic gates.
• Arrange for temporary housing at a friend or relative’s home outside the threatened area. (You will be more comfortable in someone’s home than in a public shelter. Plus, many shelters do not allow pets.)
• Pack an evacuation kit for each member of your family and place it in your car.
  • Identification showing your current address
  • Cash and credit cards
  • Prescription medications
  • Phone numbers of family, friends and other emergency contacts
  • Change of clothing and toiletries for an overnight stay
  • A leash or carrier, a bowl and food for family pets
• Pack your short list of “must take” items and place them in your car.
  • Financial and insurance papers
  • Photo albums or negatives
  • Computer data backups
• If a fire develops, change into protective clothing: sturdy shoes or boots, cotton or wool clothing, long pants, long-sleeved shirt, gloves and a handkerchief to protect your face. Wear goggles and a hard hat, if possible, and carry drinking water and a flashlight.
• Consider the need to evacuate large animals or release them into a corral or pasture containing as little burnable material as possible. (If you wait, it may be too late to maneuver through slow traffic and thick smoke.)
• Clear flammable materials from around propane tanks.
• Connect garden hoses and place sprinklers within 50 feet of your home. (Water pressure will probably decrease because of the heavy demand for firefighting or water may not be available because electric pumps have failed or water reservoirs are drained.)
• Place a ladder at a safe place to access the roof to extinguish embers, fire brands or small spot fires.
• Remove lightweight drapes and curtains. Close windows, vents, doors, blinds and heavy drapes.
• Move combustible furniture into the center of the room, away from windows and sliding-glass doors.
• Close all inside doors and windows, attics, eves, vents and pet doors to prevent drafts that could spread fire.
• Seal attic and ground vents with precut plywood or commercial seals.
• Remove combustible items from around your home, lawn and poolside (patio furniture, umbrellas, tarp coverings, firewood). Store in a detached garage or shed.
• Gather fire tools (rakes, shovels, pruning saws, chain saws, buckets, brooms, hoes, hoses, nozzles) and make sure they are outside and easy to access.
• Watch for changes in the speed and direction of fire and smoke. Don’t let the fire get ahead of you and block your route to safety. Be especially cautious if embers or firebrands begin to fall in your neighborhood.
• If you didn’t do so when the fire season began, do these now, if there is time:
  • Clear roof and gutters of leaves and pine needles.
  • Clear leaves, dead limbs, twigs, brush and vegetation away from the structure.
  • Cut low-hanging branches and limbs that could act as ladders for the fire.
  • Remove leaves and rubbish from under your home and other structures.
  • Remove dead branches that extend over the roof.
  • Remove vines from the walls of the home.
• Join forces with your neighbors to prepare your neighborhood: Establish lookouts to monitor the approaching fire; open fire and emergency access gates; alert neighbors to the approaching fire and inform them about recommended preparation activities and brief them on neighborhood escape routes and safety zones; move parked vehicles from areas with narrow streets; assist neighbors who have special needs to prepare for evacuation; report to your local fire department changing conditions: smoke, ash, and embers, changes in wind speed or direction, spot fires, approaching flame fronts.