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SALT LAKE CITY — It is wildfire season here in Utah.
Many people may not be up to date on the best ways to protect their homes or have plans in place if it becomes necessary to evacuate.
Defensible space
Often the difference between safety and danger is what’s referred to as defensible space.
Regarding preparedness, Jason Curry of Utah Forestry, Fire and State Lands said, “Defensive space is probably the No. 1 thing homeowners can address.”
The harsh reality is that during a wildfire, firefighters might not try to save your home if it’s surrounded by trees, vegetation, wood piles and other flammable materials that would put crews in danger.
“We’re not going to put people in somewhere where we know there’s a good chance of them not coming back out,” said Nathan Robinson, Duchesne County fire warden.
Home evacuation
Of course, even if your home has defensible space, if a wildfire is burning toward your home, you might be asked to evacuate.
Even in a regular house fire situation, you might only have a couple of minutes to get out. Curry said you can prepare for this by having a plan in place before a fire starts.
“That’s probably the best point to take away: you only have a brief few minutes, if that, to decide what to get,” Curry said. “So what we tell people is to be ready, get set and go.”
Have a designated meeting place in case not everyone is home when the fire starts, and practice occasionally.
“That’s the worst thing for people is the unknown,” said Curry. “It makes people very nervous to not know where the members of their household are, so think about that.”
All it takes is a bit of preparation to protect your home and family from a potential tragedy.
