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Sammy Linebaugh reporting Fire prevention teams joined forces with canyon residents today to make a plan for a season that threatens to be a scorcher.
Emigration Canyon residents have been working on a community fire prevention plan. Now fire crews say, it's time to implement it. A lot of talk today about defensible spaces -- landscaping a safety zone between your home and potential fuels, or fire hazards.
Emigration Canyon: so many homes that fire crews describe as virtually indefensible, where the home is positioned up the hill with forest and vegetation running literally right up to the front porch.
So a lot of information was passed out to residents today about the things they can do to keep their home and family safe. And these are tips that can apply to everybody
The most obvious, create a space of at least 30 feet. 30 feet is the suggested distance between your home, and any significant vegetation.
Avoid storing firewood up against the house.
If you live in a wooded, canyon area like this, consider building or remodeling with brick or stucco as opposed to wood. And given a choice, avoid a wood, or shingled roof.
Now most people in this Emigration Canyon community are certainly well aware of the dangers.
Part of today's effort included taking a census or sorts, so that in case of emergency, everybody is accounted for.
Robert Prior/Fire Committee Volunteer: "ONE OF THE THINGS WE'D LIKE TO DO IS WE'D LIKE TO KNOW FOR EVERY RESIDENT IN THE CANYON HOW MANY CHILDREN ARE IN THE HOME, HOW MANY PETS ARE IN THE HOME, HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE IN THE HOME SO IN CASE OF A FIRE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO EVACUATE PEOPLE."
Also today, fire officials and Emigration Canyon residents together, are scouting areas to create natural fire breaks. They are asking all residents to survey their own property, and clear out any dead wood or other potentially dangerous fuels.
