Firefighters need your help. Use thesetips to PREPARE your home and PROTECT

your family and pets. BEWARE ofaccidentally starting a wildfire!

FOR MORE INFORMATION,VISIT THESE HELPFUL WEBSITES:

USDA FOREST SERVICEwww.fs.fed.us

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORBUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRSFISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE

NATIOAL PARK SERVICEwww.doi.gov/bureaus.html

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE FORESTERSwww.stateforesters.org

NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATIONwww.nfpa.org

U.S. FIRE ADMINISTRATIONwww.usfa.fema.gov

FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCYwww.fema.gov

ARE YOUFIREWISEOKLAHOMA?

Oklahoma Firewise Communities

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

FIREWISE COMMUNITIES1 BATTERYMARCH PARK - QUINCY, MA 02269

To create your FIREWISE structure, remember that theprimary goals are fuel and exposure reduction.

Use construction materials that are fire-resistant or non-combustible whenever possible.

Consider using materials such as Class-A asphaltshingles, slate or clay tile, metal, or cement and concreteproducts for roof construction.

Construct a fire-resistant sub-roof for added protection.

Use fire resistant materials such as stucco or masonryfor exterior walls. These products are much better thanvinyl which can soften and melt.

Consider both size and materials for windows; smallerpanes hold up better in their frames than larger ones;double pane glass and tempered glass are moreeffective than single pane glass; plastic skylights canmelt.

Prevent sparks from entering your home through vents, bycovering exterior attic and underfloor vents with wire meshno larger than 1/8 of an inch.

Keep your gutters, eaves and roof clear of leaves andother debris.

Clear dead wood and dense vegetation within at least 30feet from your house, and move firewood away from yourhouse or attachments like fences or decks.

Any structure attached to the house, such as decks,porches, fences and sheds should be considered part ofthe house. These structures can act as fuses or fuelbridges, particularly if constructed from flammablematerials. Therefore, consider the following:

If you wish to attach an all-wood fence to your home, usemasonry or metal as a protective barrier between thefence and house.

Use non-flammable metal when constructing a trellis andcover with high-moisture, fire-resistant vegetation.

Prevent combustible materials and debris fromaccumulating beneath patio deck or elevated porches;screen underneath or box in areas below the deck orporch with wire mesh no larger than 1/8 of an inch.

To create a landscape that will make your home lessvulnerable to wildfire, the primary goal is fuel reduction.Think of the area around your home in zones. Zone 1 isclosest to the structure, Zone 4 is the farthest away.

Zone 1 This well-irrigated area encircles thestructure for at least 30 feet on all sides, providingspace for fire suppression equipment in the eventof an emergency. Plants should be limited tocarefully spaced fire resistant tree and shrubspecies.

Zone 2 Fire resistant plant materials should beused here. Plants should be low-growing, and theirrigation system should extend into this section.

Zone 3 Place low-growing plants and well-spaced trees in this area, remembering to keepthe volume of vegetation (fuel) low.

Zone 4 This furthest zone from the structure is anatural area. Thin selectively here and removehighly flammable vegetation.

Also remember to:Carefully space the trees you plant.

Take out the “ladder fuels” – vegetation that serves as alink between grass and tree tops. These fuels can carryfire from vegetation to a structure or from a structure tovegetation.

When maintaining a landscape:Keep trees and shrubs pruned. Prune all trees six to 10feet from the ground.

Water and maintain your lawn regularly.

Mow dry grass and weeds..

Dispose of cuttings and debris promptly.

Landscape with less-flammable plants: Contact yourlocal state foerster, county extension office ot landscapespecialist for plant information.

FIREWISE CONSTRUCTION

WWW.FIREWISE.ORG

BEWARE & PREPARE

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FIREWISE LANDSCAPING

LEAN, CLEAN AND GREENLANDSCAPING

With firewise landscaping, you can create defensiblespace around your home that reduces your wildfirethreat. Large, leafy, hardwood trees should be pruned sothat the lowest branches are at least 6 to 10 ft high toprevent a fire on the ground from spreading up to thetree tops. Within the defensible space, removeflammable plants that contain resins, oils and waxesthat burn readily: Ornamental junipers, yaupon holly, redcedar, and young pine. A list of less-flammable plantscan be found within this brochure.

Although mulch helps retain soil moisture, whendry, it can become flammable. Mulch as well as alllandscaping should be kept well watered toprevent them from becoming fire fuel.

DEFENSIBLE SPACEDo you have at least 30 ft of space surrounding yourhome that is Lean, Clean and Green?

The objective of Defensible Space is to reduce thewildfire threat to your home by changing thecharacteristics of the surrounding vegetation.

Lean – Prune shrubs and cut back tree branches,especially within 15 feet of your chimney.

Clean – Remove all dead plant material from around yourhome; this includes dead leaves, dry grass and evenstacked firewood

Green – Plant fire-resistant vegetation that is healthy andgreen throughout the year.

Defensible space allows firefightersroom to put out fires.

FIRE-RESISTANT ATTACHMENTSAttachments include any structure connected to yourhome, such as decks, porches or fences. If an attachmentto a home is not fire-resistant, then the home as a whole isnot firewise.

A DISASTER PLANThe time to plan for a fire emergency is now. Take a fewminutes to discuss with your family what actions you willneed to take.

• Post your local firefighting agency’s telephone numberin a visible place.

• Decide where you will go and how you will get there.With fire, you may only have a moments notice. Twoescape routes out of your home and out of yourneighborhood are preferable.

• Have tools available: shovel, rake, axe,handsaw or chainsaw, and a 2 gallon bucket

• Maintain an adequate water source

• Have a plan for your pets

• Practice family fire drills

Evacuations for a wildfire can occur withoutnotice; When wildfire conditions exist, BEALERT.

A FIREWISE HOME HAS…

FIRE-RESISTANT EXTERIORCONSTRUCTION

Wall materials that resist heat and flames include brick,cement, plaster, stucco and concrete masonry. Doublepane glass windows can make a home more resistant towildfire heat and flames.

Although some vinyl will not burn, firefightershave found that some vinyl soffits can melt,allowing embers into the attic space.

EMERGENCY ACCESSIdentify your home and neighborhood with legible and clearlymarked street names and numbers so emergency vehiclescan rapidly find the location of the emergency. Include adriveway that is at least 12 feet wide with a vertical clearanceof 15 feet – to provide access to emergency apparatus.

FIRE-RESISTANT ROOFCONSTRUCTION

Firewise construction materials include Class-Aasphalt shingles, metal, cement and concreteproducts. Additionally, the inclusion of a fire-resistant sub-roof adds protection.

Something as simple as makingsure that your gutters, eavesand roof are clear of debris canreduce your fire threat.

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