"Prepare Your Home for Wildfire" is the message for Nevada Wildfire Awareness Month, beginning May 1. Originally held for one week beginning in 2006, Nevada's Wildfire Awareness campaign has seen steady annual growth and an increasing number of communities wanting to take part. With this continued popularity, what was once a week-long effort has been extended to a month-long endeavor.
This year's message is intended to promote a shift in the way Nevadans perceive the wildfire threat to their communities.
"With this message we hope to change our traditional thinking about the wildfire threat from being reactionary and protecting our homes once a wildfire starts, to being proactive and preparing our homes to survive a wildfire before one begins," said Ed Smith, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension natural resource specialist. "By preparing our homes ahead of time, we can greatly improve the chances that they will survive a wildfire."
Below are a few things you can do around your home or community to prepare for wildfire.
For your landscape:
Keep a noncombustible area at least 5 feet wide around the base of your home; use well-irrigated plants and rock or concrete surfaces in this area
Keep a 30-foot area around your home that has very little or no flammable vegetation, is well irrigated, and is free of dead plants and debris
For your home:
Keep skylights and rain gutters free of pine needles, leaves and debris
Cover vent openings with 1/8-inch-thick or smaller wire mesh or install ember-resistant vents
Screen chimney and stovepipe openings with an approved spark arrestor cap
Place firewood stacks at least 30 feet from your home
Routinely remove pine needles, leaves, twigs and weeds from the open space beneath your deck
Nevada Wildfire Awareness Month is a collaborative effort by your local, state and federal firefighting agencies, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and many others. For more information about Wildfire Awareness Month and more things you can do to prepare your home for a wildfire, visit www.LivingWithFire.info.
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