Protecting Your Home from Wildfires

KENNEWICK, Wash. - Wildfire season is already upon us. Many people think that wildfires happen far away from the city, but as Tri-Citians saw Wednesday, they can burn in the middle of a metropolitan area.

Captain Brian Ellis with the Kennewick Fire Department says there are steps you can take to protect your home from burning down in the event of a wildfire. The first one is creating a defensible space.

"Defensible space is that space that is around your house starting from 0-5 feet, then out to 30 feet where you want to take a look at the vegetation that's there. Is it underneath the overhangs of the house? Is it right up next to the house?"

Captain Ellis adds that combustibles aren't just vegetation, it's also furniture or wood piles right next to the house.

"If we can get that stuff moved away, you've created a defensible space around your home, that way when the fire comes through it can come and go and won't leave anything that can affect your home."

Fire safety is important for activities around our homes as well, such as using a fire-pit. Captain Ellis says they should be placed over something non-combustible, such as dirt or gravel, and you should always have a hose or shovel on hand in case the fire gets out of hand.

"Use good clean, corded, cut wood, don't use scraps or extra wood you had around the house from projects that you used up. Before you go into the house for the night, make sure you put the fire completely out. We do get winds around here, those embers could drop by the house into the vegetation and you could get an exterior-ignited fire."

There's ways to stay safe from the inside of your home too.

"One of those is keeping your bedroom doors closed at night, that gives you a little bit more time to exit the home safely. Make sure, and this is our message constantly from the fire department, have working fire alarms in your home, and have them in the right spaces."

Captain Ellis says you should place a fire alarm in the hallway outside the sleeping areas, one on each level of the home, and one in each bedroom.