News Flash

Wildfire safety

• Create a safety zone of up to 100 feet around your home. Remove pine needles and dry leaves from around your home. Keep woodpiles at least 30 feet from your home.
• Know your community's local evacuation plan. Plan ahead by practicing two ways out of your neighborhood. You should know the evacuation route and plan a place where you will go.
• If you are told to evacuate, do so immediately. If you wait until the last minute, the roads may have heavy traffic. Blowing embers and debris from the fire may make it hard to see.
• Stay informed. Listen to the TV/radio broadcasts for current weather and emergency instructions. Sign up to receive local emergency alerts and warnings on both your home phone and cellphone.
• Make sure everyone in your family knows your meeting place ahead of time. Let your family and friends who do not live in your area know your meeting place.
• Keep your car fueled and keep an emergency supply bag in your car. Back your car into the garage or park it in an open space facing the direction of escape.

Outdoor fire safety

• Move the grill away from siding, decking, and other things that can catch fire.
• Stay with the grill the entire time you're cooking.
• Use long-handled barbecue tools when cooking on the grill.
• Use a metal screen over wood-burning fires to keep sparks from floating out.
• Turn off or put out fires before you leave the backyard.
• Build campfires at least 15 feet away from tent walls, shrubs or other things that burn.
• The best way to stay safe from fireworks is to not use them.