Botetourt County Emergency Services
Home safety:
Check and clean your smoke detectors.
Check and clean your carbon monoxide detector.
Clear your basement and attics of old papers and boxes.
Have your home ac unit serviced by a licensed professional.
Make sure of all fire exits and escape routes are clear of debris.
Courtesy vafire.com
Check and clean your smoke detectors.
Check and clean your carbon monoxide detector.
Clear your basement and attics of old papers and boxes.
Have your home ac unit serviced by a licensed professional.
Make sure of all fire exits and escape routes are clear of debris.
Courtesy vafire.com
Home safety from wildfire:
Perform a FIREWISE assessment of your home.
Move your firewood pile out of your home's defensible space.
Clean your roof and gutters of leaves and pine needles (best done in October).
Clear the view of your house number so it can be easily seen from the street.
Put a hose (at least 100' long) on a rack and attach it to an outside faucet.
Trim all tree branches if they overhang your house.
Trim all tree branches from within 20' of all chimneys.
Remove trees along the driveway to make it 12' wide.
Prune branches overhanging the driveway to have 14' overhead clearance.
Maintain a green lawn for 30' around your home. If new homes are still being built in your area, talk to the developer and local zoning officials about building standards.
Plan and discuss an escape plan with your family. Include your pets. Have a practice drill.
Get involved with your community's disaster mitigation plans.
Check your fire extinguishers. Are they still charged? Are they easy to get to in an emergency? Does everyone in the family know where they are and how to use them?
Clear deadwood and dense flammable vegetation from your home's defensible space.
Remove conifer shrubs from your home's defensible space especially if your home is in a high-risk area.
Review your homeowner's insurance policy for adequate coverage. Consult you insurance agent about costs of rebuilding and repairs in your area.
Talk to you children about not starting fires or playing with matches.
Compost leaves in the fall, don't burn them.
If you burn your brush piles or grass in the spring, get a, burning permit.
Always have a shovel on hand and hook up the garden hose BEFORE you start the fire.
Never burn if the smoke and flames are blowing towards your home (or your neighbor's home).
Courtesy www.dof.virginia.gov