Western weather forecasts show continued scorching temperatures, low humidity and high winds – the perfect recipe for a wildfire. This year, more than 23,400 wildfires have burned over 2,800,000 acres in the United States.
A University of Nevada, Reno expert is reminding Nevadans about resources to protect homes from wildfires.
“We can’t just rely on firefighters to do all the work and put their lives at risk. By doing what we can, we give the firefighters a better chance of saving our homes,” UNR professor Christina Restaino said. “We want to encourage people to take a look at the information we’ve got, and chip away at preparing themselves and their properties for wildfire.”
Restaino said five areas of focus to start with are cheatgrass, defensible space, flying embers, evacuation preparation and wildfire smoke.
A common way homes ignite is from embers or pieces of burning material that can travel a mile or more ahead of a fire. Research suggests embers cause up to 90% of home ignitions during wildfires.
To reduce the threat of ember ignition to your home, ensure that vents are screened with 1/8-inch noncombustible corrosion-resistant metal mesh screening; remove all dried leaves, pine needles and other materials from rain gutters; and if you have a roof composed of wood shakes or shingles, consider replacing it, as these roofs are similar to stacking hundreds of pounds of dried kindling on top of your home.
Preparing ahead for evacuation can help you and your household remain calm and safely evacuate, leave your home in a condition that is most conducive to surviving a wildfire, and have the items you need for evacuation and possibly being away from your home for several hours or days.
Prepare for wildfire smoke by keeping all windows closed and turning on the air conditioner. If outdoors, use a P100 or N95 respirator.
Source: UNR
