Your 12-Step Wildfire Preparedness Checklist

Alberta reported 723 forest fires in 2020. This means that our province was the leading territory of forest fires in all of Canada. And with such fires being on the rise in recent years, it’s important to have the proper protection in place. A wildfire could easily destroy your home; leaving nothing behind but ashes.

Thankfully, security measures can be taken. Namely, insurance. Be sure to speak with a home insurance broker in Alberta today to safeguard your family, your home, and your precious possessions against such disasters.

And if you’re looking for more safety precautions, keep reading our 12-step wildfire preparedness checklist.

1. Promptly Evacuate

Quickly vacate the premises if local authorities issue an evacuation order. Be sure to create an emergency evacuation plan with your family, so that pets and irreplaceable valuables can be retrieved safely.

2. Clearance of Driveways

An encroaching wildfire must be tamed as quickly as possible. However, this is infinitely harder to do with flammable greenery and plant life surrounding your driveway. Ensure that such vegetation is cleared within a 3-metre radius of either side of your driveway.

3. Install a Barrier

If possible, make a sustainable defence space surrounding your home. Remove any and all dead grass, dry leaves, as well as any other plant life from your home, rooftop, and rain spout.

4. Prune

Prune your trees frequently to ensure branches are (at a minimum) 5 metres above the ground. Additionally, be sure to remove any branches that may be hanging over your rooftop or smokestack.

5. Clear the Perimeter

Fire can spread quickly from one agent or medium to another. For this reason, ensure you move any piles of sticks, wood, or lumber to about 9 metres – give or take – away from your home.

6. Make a Separation

Try to produce a clear-cut separation or divide between any shrubs, trees, vegetation, and possessions (e.g. patio furniture) that can easily spread the fire.

7. Maintain Your Area

Ensure your home has adequately watered ground – at a minimum – 30 metres from your home if the surrounding ground is flush and 60 metres from your home if the ground is slanted. Ensure your grass is trimmed to – utmost – 10 centimetres in height.

8. Block Off Flammable Items

Be sure that you clear an area of about 3 metres around any propane tanks, gas cylinders, or barbecues.

9. Make Your Home Fire-Resistant

If you can, try to Install fire-resistant products. Outfit your home with the necessary fire-resistant items. There are smoke detectors, window treatments, as well as fire extinguishers that can be used to treat your home.

10. Fire-Fighting Tools

Retain a few fire-fighting tools. Items such as axes, ladders, shovels, rakes, a hose, water buckets, etc, can all be of great utility in the event of an encroaching wildfire. If the structure of your home is ever being terrorized by such a threat, these items will truly make all the difference in the world.

11. Always Have Backup

A prudent move would be to Install a backup generator. Wildfires can leave you and your family in the dark as they have the potential to burn down power lines. A backup generator will supplement your electricity while your power is off.

12. Store Valuables

Store your valuables away. Anything that is important or irreplaceable should go into a fire-resistant storage repository such as a safe. Put away crucial documents, certificates, photo albums, etc.

Conclusion

Fire safety is something that should not be taken lightly. Too many bad things can happen in such circumstances. For this reason, it’s important (and necessary) to be prepared. But aside from following our 12-step guide, the next best method of wildfire preparation is to get insured.

At Alpine Insurance, our expert team of Alberta insurance brokers are here to help you get the coverage you need. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.