Southern California Fires

The Firestorm of 2007 burned roughly 397,000 acres and destroyed about 2,000 homes and killed 7 people. We know the fires are coming. Even though a fire may ravage your community, there ARE ways to increase the chance of survival for your home. As the 2007 fires proved, no one in Southern California is safe from brush fire. Unfortunately, due to the ever increasing demand for housing, and development of rural areas, wild fires now threaten suburbs, and the cities themselves. The only sure way to increase survivability of your family, property and possessions, is to anticipate that a fire will hit your community and prepare your home and family for this eventuality.

Important Fire Safety Questions to Ask Yourself:

Do you have an escape route if your house caught fire?
When was the last time you check your smoke detector?
How close is the landscaping and trees from the house?
If in a canyon area. How far is the brush from your structures?
Do you have a Carbon Monoxide detector?
Do you have a family meeting point?
Have you ever conducted a family fire drill?
How far from a truck or hydrant can a fire hose reach?
If you can not escape do you have a safe room?

Areas with an abundance of flammable vegetation and periods of dry, hot, windy weather are particularly vulnerable to wildfires. "Brush" is the predominant native plant in the canyons of Southern California. When adjacent to homes, brush management is required to protect the the homes from wild fire.

Electrical fires in our homes claim the lives of 485 Americans each year and injure 2,305 more. Some of these fires are caused by electrical system failures and appliance defects, but many more are caused by the misuse and poor maintenance of electrical appliances, incorrectly installed wiring, and overloaded circuits and extension cords.