Before a Fire

• Prepare an emergency kit and make a family communications plan
• Make sure your home is sided and landscaped to resist fire 
• Regularly clean roof and gutters of debris
• Keep chimneys and stovepipes clean and in working order
• Screen exterior openings to floors, roof, and attic
• Install a dual-sensor smoke alarm on each level of your home, especially near bedrooms; test monthly and change the batteries at least once each year
• Teach family members the location and how to use a fire extinguisher
• Keep handy household items that can be used as fire tools such as a rake, axe, handsaw or chainsaw, or bucket and shovel
• Keep a ladder that will reach the roof
• Consider installing protective shutters or heavy, fire-resistant drapes

Water planning

• Identify outside water sources: small pond, cistern, well, swimming pool, or hydrant
• Have a garden hose long enough to reach each area of the home and outbuildings on the property
• Install freeze-proof exterior outlets on at least two sides of the home and near other outbuildings, and also, additional outlets at least 50 feet from the home
• Consider a portable, gasoline-powered pump or generator in case electrical power is lost
  

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• Firewise workshops are offered for free all across the nation, in communities large and small, and free Firewise materials can be obtained easily by anyone interested