{"id":2012646,"date":"2023-08-25T23:19:01","date_gmt":"2023-08-26T03:19:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wildfire-season-how-to-prepare-before-during-and-after-the-blaze\/"},"modified":"2023-08-25T23:26:37","modified_gmt":"2023-08-26T03:26:37","slug":"wildfire-season-how-to-prepare-before-during-and-after-the-blaze","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wildfire-season-how-to-prepare-before-during-and-after-the-blaze\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing for Wildfires: Tips Before, During, and After the Blaze"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwildfire-season-how-to-prepare-before-during-and-after-the-blaze%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2012646&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"post_content\">\n<div class=\"aplayer_app\" data-source=\"https:\/\/vs1.youmaker.com\/assets\/2023\/0825\/dcdfa432-2065-44b1-87d1-0518507c75d9\/audio.mp3?length=5442093&#038;duration=453\"><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>Wildfires have raged across North America in \u20632023, bringing devastating loss of life, property, and air quality.<\/p>\n<p>From\u2062 Canada\u2019s smoke-filled\u200b skies over the Northeast this summer to the inferno\u2064 in Lahaina, Hawaii, that claimed over 100 \u2062lives, major fire disasters have struck swiftly and with\u200c little warning.<\/p>\n<p>This means you may\u200b need to be your own first responder.<\/p>\n<h2>Lahaina: No Warning and No Way Out<\/h2>\n<p>West Maui\u2019s only escape route was filled \u200cwith fleeing vehicles that met a barricade blocking Highway 30, the <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/hawaii-fires-timeline-maui-lahaina-road-block-c8522222f6de587bd14b2da0020c40e9\">Associated Press reported<\/a>. Though intended to\u200d mitigate risks like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/millions-without-power-in-texas-energy-prices-climb\/\" title=\"Millions Without Power In Texas; Energy Prices Climb\">downed power lines<\/a>, the road closure trapped residents as flames engulfed Lahaina\u200d in one of history\u2019s deadliest wildfires. An unconfirmed FBI \u2062list shows over 1,000 missing,\u2064 many children.<\/p>\n<p>Some died in cars, others while fleeing on foot. Survivors escaped by \u2062breaking rules, swerving around barricades, or taking backroads. One climbed a dirt road to safety.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nifc.gov\/fire-information\/nfn\">National Interagency Fire Center<\/a> (NIFC) currently reports 78 large fires burning over 600,000 acres in 14 states.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5480817\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2023\/08\/25\/id5480817-Wildfire-Risk-Map-Courtesy-of-FEMA.png\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><\/noscript><\/figcaption><\/a><\/p>\n<p>    (Wildfire Risk Map, Courtesy of FEMA)<br \/>\n  <\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThis is, unfortunately, something we\u2019re seeing more and more of is when\u200c wildfires occur \u200dthat impacts\u200b populated \u200careas, we have less and less warning time a lot of the time,\u201d Michele Steinberg, wildfire division director at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), told The Epoch Times.<\/p>\n<h2>Wildfire Prep Begins With Red Flag Alerts<\/h2>\n<p>Paying attention \u200cto the National Weather Service\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/mqt\/redflagtips#:~:text=A%20Red%20Flag%20Warning%20means,3%2F4%20of%20an%20inch.\">red flag warnings<\/a> signaling high <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/another-wave-of-portland-police-quit-amid-massive-spike-in-shootings-and-stabbings-fire-dept-responding-to-10-homeless-tent-fires-a-day\/\" title=\"Another Wave Of Portland Police Quit Amid Massive Spike In Shootings And Stabbings; Fire Dept. Responding To 10+ Homeless Tent Fires A Day\">fire risk<\/a> conditions \u200dis crucial, Ms. Steinberg said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[Maui residents] had multiple days of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ore-bootleg-fire-surpasses-300k-acres-forecasters-predict-gusty-winds-low-humidity-ahead\/\" title=\"Ore. Bootleg Fire surpasses 300K acres, forecasters predict gusty winds, low humidity ahead\">red flag warning<\/a>, meaning if there is an ignition and a fire begins, it is likely to spread rapidly and\u200d perhaps have serious impacts,\u201d she added. \u201cSo that\u2019s intended\u200c to have people on\u200b their guard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>These warnings advise precautions like avoiding sparks\u200d and prompt authorities to ban open flames.<\/p>\n<p>But people often ignore such warnings, as occurred before recent disasters like \u2063the\u2062 Tubbs \u2063Fire in California and Gatlinburg \u200cfires in Tennessee, Ms. Steinberg said.<\/p>\n<p>When going to heavily visited areas, remember\u200c that a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wildfire-season-here-is-what-you-need-to-be-prepared\/\" title=\"Prepare for Wildfire Season\">red flag warning requires heightened awareness<\/a>, \u2064she added. Know your evacuation \u200broute in case \u2063of emergency, including where you will go and how you will get there.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Prepare for an Emergency<\/h2>\n<p>Over 70,000 communities and 44 million homes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fs.usda.gov\/managing-land\/fire\/fac\">face\u2063 wildfire risks<\/a> where vegetation \u200cmeets urban areas, called the wildland-urban interface. The U.S. Forest Service reports \u2064wildfires destroyed over\u2062 35,000 structures over the past decade.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to paying attention to red flag\u200b warnings, people must be ready to evacuate their homes for an extended period.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019d want to have a go-kit,\u200c an emergency kit,\u201d Ms. Steinberg said. \u201cSome emergency managers will talk about the three P\u2019s: \u200cpills, pets, and pictures.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Practice evacuation drills,\u200c like packing up in 10 minutes. Such preparedness steps can save lives if wildfire strikes your neighborhood.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s the sort of personal safety \u200cpreparedness that [the NFPA] talk about,\u201d Ms. Steinberg added.<\/p>\n<h2>Protect Your Home Against Flames<\/h2>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap\">Wildfire \u2062preparedness also involves protecting homes near wooded areas \u200bwhere fire naturally occurs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap\">If fire is part of your area\u2019s ecosystem,\u200b take steps to make your home\u200c ignition-resistant, Ms. Steinberg\u2064 recommended.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>1. Routinely Remove Flammable Debris From Gutters<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cAnything that could catch fire, you don\u2019t \u2062want touching the house,\u201d Ms. \u200dSteinberg \u2063said. This includes organic mulch landscaping, which poses a fire risk.<\/p>\n<p>She recommends raking \u2064mulch and debris at least 5 feet from the house. This prevents direct flame contact and stops wind-blown embers from igniting fuels at\u200d the foundation. Thousands of embers \u2063can spread from the main fire, so limiting available fuel is crucial.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>2. Do Not Wet Down Your Home<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Firefighters don\u2019t want untrained people staying behind, Ms. Steinberg said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeing exposed to this kind of heat, flames, and gases is\u200d a bad situation,\u201d she added. \u201cThis is how people\u2063 get\u2064 killed in\u200c wildfires.\u201d \u2063Attempting to\u200c wet down your home as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wildfire-season-how-to-prepare-before-during-and-after-the-blaze\/\" title=\"Preparing for Wildfires: Tips Before, During, and After the Blaze\">fire nears wastes precious escape time<\/a> without \u2064much benefit. In fact, it\u2019s taking away the time you need \u200dto\u2062 get \u2062out of harm\u2019s \u2064way.<\/p>\n<p>As Hawaii\u2019s winds showed, \u200dhoses can\u2019t withstand firestorm conditions long.\u200b \u201cThat\u2019s gonna dry out that little d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>own first responder in the event of a wildfire. Stay informed, have an emergency plan, and be prepared to evacuate if necessary. The increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires require us to take proactive measures to protect ourselves and our communities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1807,"featured_media":2012647,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2012646","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2012646","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1807"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2012646"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2012646\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2012647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2012646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2012646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2012646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}