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Fire Preparedness

Fire preparedness starts at the home with home hardening and defensible space.  The next steps are ensuring you and your family know an evacuation plan, have a 'go bag' ready and know your crop or livestock needs during an emergency. 

UC ANR Fire Network: Evacuation Preparation - Household Pre-Evacuation Order Checklist to prepare your house for when you might be evacuated.  Checklist is available in both English and Spanish

Prepare for Wildfire: Ready, Set, GO! by CALFIRE - Great resources for home hardening, evacuations plans, 'go' bag' checklists, and defensible space to do lists.  It has an app that can allow you to get alerts and tips throughout the year.  

Sign up for Nixel Alerts: Alerts you through text, call or email when your home is within an evacuation zone during an emergency.  

Sign up for your Ag Pass:  Allows agricultural producers to potentially enter closed areas during a natural disaster event, such as wildfire.  Clink the link below for your county.

Sonoma County               Napa County         Marin County -Coming Soon

 

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Home Hardening

Home Hardening: actions taken to make your home or buildings be more fire adapted and give them a better chance at survival.  These actions do not make your house or buildings fireproof, but can help withstand radiant heat, direct fire and ember cast during wildfire situations. 

Home Hardening Resources 

UCCE Fire Network Preparing your Home 

Constructing Fire Safe Homes

Wildfire Guidance for Home and Business Owners 

National Fire Protection Association - Firewise USA 

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Defensible Space

Defensible Space: the area surrounding a structure where plants and other landscape elements are maintained to decrease fire hazard, and allow fire fighters to make a stand, addressing embers and spot fires before they grow.  

Defensible Space Resources

UCCE Fire Network Preparing your Landscape 

UCCE Sonoma Master Gardener's Firewise Landscaping 

Sonoma County Resilient Landscape Coalition

Defensible Space Exemption Permits 

Flowchart for Determining which CALFIRE Permit to use 

Agricultural Landowners

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Structure Hardening and Defensible Space can be a little different in agricultural spaces.  Check out the resources below to learn more about preparing your property for Wildfire.  A good way to prepare and ensure everyone who works with you is on the same page is to prepare an Emergency Plan for your farm, ranch or agricultural business. 

Crop and Livestock Owner Resources for Wildfire Preparation 

UCCE Fire Network - Prepare Your Farm or Ranch

Printable Wildfire Preparedness for Farms, Ranches and Agricultural Operations Guide - English

Ventura County - Wildfire Preparedness for Farmers, Ranchers and Growers 

Texas A&M Extension - Protecting Farms and Ranches from Wildfires

Farming through Wildfire Season - videos featuring UCCE Advisors from on-line courses and networks dedicated to helping farmers and ranchers face a future with fire by farmercampus.com 

Extension Disaster Education Network Farm Security Course: your farm or ranch is your life and your livelihood.  You want to do everything you can to protect it from crime, natural disasters and other threats.  The protection measures are similar and well worth the effort to put in place. 

Emergency Plan Templates

UCCE Placer-Nevada-Sutter-Yuba Wildfire Preparation Strategies for Commercial Ranchers

MSU Extension Emergency Planning on the Farm Electronic Template

Smoke Preparedness

Smoke exposure from wildfires is an increasingly common public health hazard to communities throughout California.  Knowing where to find accurate information and being prepared to act when smoke is in the air can help you protect yourself and your family.  

Smoke Readiness: Preparing for Wildfire Smoke 

Air Quality Resources