The House
Build an emergency kit and make a family communications plan
Fire-resistant roof i.e. metal, tile, composition
Non-flammable siding materials
Home is located down-slope
Wooden deck facing or overhanging level ground
Large glass windows, facing level ground
Deck, porch, vents or house screened to keep sparks out
Chimney extending above the roofline
Chimney spark arrester in place
Roof and gutters clean of debris
Around the House
A fire defensible space (D-space) zone of 30 – 100 ft
Adequate clearance of weeds, tall grasses and brush
Leaves raked
Trees pruned 10 ft up from base of trunk
Debris cleared from beneath trees and near structures
Tree limbs pruned at least 10 ft from roof or within 15 ft laterally from chimney
House location or address clearly marked (3 inch letters)
Firewood and other burnable items stored at lease 30 ft from the house
Small amounts of mulch used near wooden structures
Access
Easy access to home by emergency vehicles
Road grade less than 15 % (not steep)
Road wide and accommodating to two-way traffic
Road straight with wide turns
Large areas for vehicles to turn around
Short driveway from main road
Multiple roads into and out of developed area for
safe and easy access and evacuation
Home area level and easily plowed or raked for fire line
Water Supply
Pressurized hydrants available
Non-pressurized or dry hydrants available
Water sources such as ponds or streams accessible
Power lines buried and not susceptible to fire
Well pumps maintained with uninterrupted electricity
prob a dumb question but should propane tanks be buried underground and how far should they be from the house?. Mine is a 500 gallon tank