What to do after a wildfire

Though we can prepare our families, home, and property for fire, wildfires are an inevitable part of living in fire-prone landscapes. Most educational material focuses on preparation. But what should we do after a wildfire has burned through our area? -First, stay informed. Don’t try to get back to your home until local law enforcement allow you to return. Be prepared to show evidence...

How to escape from a quickly approaching wildfire

Wind-driven wildfires can move unbelievably fast, racing up hillsides, leaping canyons and sending burning embers flying miles ahead of the flame front. Residents may have only minutes to escape their neighborhood as the wildfire approaches, and for many, it may be the most terrifying experience of their life, buffeted by hurricane-force winds, with burning debris being blown through the air,...

Santa Barbara County Firefighters Clearing Brush

Santa Barbara County firefighters are clearing brush along San Marcos Road as part of the County’s participation in the Ready, Set, Go! wildfire preparedness program which debuted in California last year. Santa Barbara County Fire has more information on Ready, Set, Go! at their website, and are urging residents to prepare their properties for the fire season by creating defensible space...

Fire Prevention Program Hampered by Low Turn-Out

Southern Alabama volunteer firefighters spent an estimated 40-50 hours writing the grant and negotiating with FEMA to allow them to provide 270 smoke detectors and 70 fire extinguishers to the roughly 1500-1800 homes served by the Independence Volunteer Fire Department. This spring, they mailed out flyer inviting members of the community to come to the fire station. About a dozen residents...

Want to learn more about local hazard mitigation? Try a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members are not firefighters, but they are trained in fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. The CERT program provides members of the public basic training for emergency response, providing them the tools to be ready to respond when disaster strikes. This is particularly important in areas where for...