Outside the House
Place combustible items (outdoor furniture, etc.) in the garage, house or barn.
Seal up attic and ground vents and windows (if storm shutters are not present) with precut plywood to keep out sparks.
Connect garden hoses to outside taps; equip them with spray nozzle guns. Have enough hose to reach any area of the house and nearby out-buildings.
Turn off fuel supplies by closing the service valve at the tank or meter. Extinguish all pilot lights.
Place sprinklers on the roof and near all above-ground fuel tanks or meter. DO NOT turn on the water until the fire is near in order to conserve water.
If you have a portable gasoline powered pump to take water from a swimming pool, tank or pond, make sure it is operational and in place. |
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Inside the House
Close all windows and doors to prevent sparks from blowing inside and to prevent drafts.
Open the damper on fireplaces to stabilize inside-outside pressure, but close fireplace screens to keep sparks from igniting the interior of the house.
Turn on a light in each room to make the house more visible in heavy smoke.
Close all venetian blinds and heavy drapes to keep out heat and to provide safety in case heat or wind breaks windows.
Remove lightweight curtains to prevent them from being ignited by radiated heat.
Move flammable furniture away from windows and sliding doors to reduce the possibility of ignition.
Place valuable papers and memorabilia inside the car for quick departure.
Confine pets to one room so they can be easily located.
Back the car into the garage and roll up the windows.
If there is an automatic garage door opener, disconnect it so you can still get the car out if a power failure occurs.
Close all garage doors and windows.
Keep your radio tuned to a local station for fire reports and evacuation information. |
