Forest fire protection: Precautions to keep your home safe

How to protect your home from fire Protecting your home and your family from a fire is key. That's why CTV sought out an expert for the best advice on how to keep everyone safe.

Forest fire season is here and whether or not you live near the woods you should be prepared because a fire can spark anywhere, anytime.

There are some key precautions you can take to keep your family and your home safe.

For starters, you can eliminate the fuel that a fire needs to burn.

“Keeping your property clean is probably one of the easiest things you can do to prevent fires," said Erik Hecht, FirstOnSite Restoration’s director of operations for the B.C. region.

Hecht says you want to create a 10-metre zone around your home free of debris like branches, trees and mulch.

Coniferous trees are highly flammable, so remove them if they're within the zone. If they’re outside the zone, space them out and keep your grass mowed and watered closer to the house. Grass shorter than 10 centimetres is a much lower fire risk. Well-watered grass also helps stop flames from spreading.

If you have a barbecue grill, pull it away from your home. Keep boxes of firewood and kindling away from your home as well.

Rather than piling recycling up beside your house, break it down and move it away. And don’t store motor oil near your home either. A non-combustible storage shed is best to store that kind of stuff away.

Clear away gutter debris, and you can add screens to the gutter to reduce the amount of debris that can build up.

And if you’re planning to re-roof, consider a non-combustible material. Wood shingles are extremely flammable, but roofs constructed from materials like asphalt, slate, or tile off the best protection against fire.

But if something does ignite and you can’t put it out, evacuate the property.

"If it's anything that feels out of control or a forest fire or anything call 911,” said Hecht.

Hecht also suggests putting together a bug-out bag.

“If you have to go right away, then you’ve got your bag and your stuff to keep in it,” he advised.

The bag should contain enough food for three days, along with water, pet food, a flashlight, first aid kid and emergency blanket. Also have a copy of your ID, a fire extinguisher and extra gas for your vehicle just in case.

Your family should also have an evacuation plan to know where you’re going in an emergency.

“You definitely need to have a plan,” he said, “Your family should all know the plan too.”

Choose a safe place where the fires are unlikely to spread, and remember embers travel far.

It's important to make fire preparation a community activity and don't forget to check your insurance policy to make sure you're covered and to make sure it's up to date.

Click here for more information to help you prepare for almost any type of emergency.