As an 18 acre brush fire consumes what lies beneath the Hollywood sign, area residents are reminded that the land around us is wild, untamed and unpredictable. If you own a home or live in an area where there’s even the slightest possibility of fire, being firewise and practicing fire safety in these over-heated times, is important not only for the protection of your property but for the safety of your family.
Keep Your Lawn and Home Cleared of Brush
Dry brush and organic debris can catch fire in seconds when wild fire burns nearby. Keeping your space free of brush can stop the spread of fire and keep your property safe. To clear your property of dead leaves and twigs, do the following:
Clean your gutters. To clean your gutters, you’ll need a bucket, ladder, hand trowel and some garden gloves. Stand on the ladder over your gutters and use the hand trowel to scoop out leaves and debris. Dump the debris into the bucket as you go. Never dump the contents of your gutters on the ground to be picked up later, as this just spreads the debris around and makes a larger mess.- Clear debris off your roof. You may need to use a long-handled broom to sweep twigs and leaves off your home’s roof. Do this once per year, or more if necessary.
- Rake your lawn. Nearly everyone’s lawn and grass is dry and dead at this time of year, but that doesn’t stop lawn debris from building up in the corners of your property. Rake up your lawn periodically to clear the area of dead leaves, twigs, weeds and other organic matter.
Keep up with Roof Repairs
Your roof will be the most vulnerable part of your home if a large fire should threaten the area where you live. Maintaining your roof could prevent sparks and embers from penetrating your home’s envelope and causing a fire from the inside. To maintain your roof, do the following:
- Repair any loose or missing shingles. If you notice that your home is missing shingles, or that some of the shingles seem to be deteriorating, contact a qualified roofer immediately.
- Put screen in the vents of your attic to prevent embers from flying in. Screen can stop sparks from entering your home in the event that a fire rages outside your property.
Keep Fire Prevention Equipment on Hand
Every home should have smoke detectors and fire extinguishers on hand to protect against small fires. Check your smoke detectors on a quarterly basis and replace the batteries as needed.
Remove Dead Brush and Trees
Use a hand saw or power saw to remove any dead brush and small trees from around your property. Cut back any branches that hang over your home. For larger trees, call in a tree service.
Maintain the Road to Your Home
If you’re lucky enough to live on one of those private roads in the Hollywood hills, good for you! Just don’t forget to maintain the road that leads to your home. Keep your property easy to access if you should ever need help from emergency vehicles.
Maintain Faucets and Hose Spigots Outside Your Home
Keep your home’s exterior faucets and hose spigots in good condition. You may not use them on a regular basis when it comes to maintaining your lawn, but you could decide that you need them someday if a small fire starts on your property.
Tashman Home Center
As your neighborhood home improvement store, Tashman Home Center, is the place to head to for buckets, ladders, garden gloves, long handled brooms, first extinguishers, hand saws, power saws, smoke detectors and more. We’ve got what you’re looking for either at Tashman Home Center’s Hardware Store or shop on line at TashmanHomeCenter.com, We have over 60,000 items in stock and if we don’t have it … we’ll be happy order it for you. We also have a knowledgable and friendly staff and we’re always happy to help in any way we can!