The time to prepare is now.

Step One

Get Wildfire Smart

“We were nowhere near as well prepared as we could or should've been. I wrote Surviving Wildfire so no one else will have to learn those lessons the hard way.”

Get the Surviving Wildfire handbook and companion Pocket Guide; learn how to protect your home, your property and your family.

Order Autographed Copy
WildfireSmartHome-card(web)

Step Two

Is Your Home Ready?

Learn the top ten things you can do to make your home more fire resistant and more defendable. Don't give fire a pathway. Create a 10-foot fuel-free zone around your home. No firewood, no tree branches, no flammable bushes, no wood-based mulch, no leaves, no dead grass, no debris.

Read chapters 2, 3, 4

InsuranceSmartHomeowner-card(web)

Step Three

Get Smart about Insurance.

Most people are underinsured. Get the inside scoop on how much insurance you really need. Then review your policy with your agent. Make sure you understand what is and is not covered. Learn how to easily document your home and belongings so you can collect your policy maximum.

Read chapters 5, 13

Step Four

The Pocket Guide Puts It All In One Place

Fill out the Get Wildfire Smart pocket guide and post it on the fridge. Assign responsibilities. Review with other family members so everyone knows what to do. Take it with you if you have to evacuate.

Order Pocket Guide

Step Five

Plan in Advance

Don't wait until a fire is threatening to make sure you and your family can get out safely.

  • Register all your phones for reverse 911.
  • Make sure your address is visible from the road.
  • Pull together your vital information and emergency kits.
  • Gather up all your evacuation essentials so you can leave at a moment's notice.
  • Think through what you'll need if you are gone for days...or weeks.
  • Make a family plan and practice.
  • And learn what to do if you're trapped at home or in your car.

Read chapters 6 - 7

Step Six

Stay Alert During Wildfire Season

  • Keep vehicles well maintained and full of gas.
  • Store an emergency kit in your primary vehicle.
  • Maintain your defensible space regularly.
  • Keep gutters and roof clear of debris.
  • Keep cell phones, laptops and tablets charged.
  • Tune scanner to your emergency frequency.
  • Be prepared for a power outage.
  • Get a telephone that doesn’t need electricity.
  • Clean your address sign; is it readable from the road?
  • Have a plan for evacuating livestock and pets.

See also chapter 7

Step Seven

Grab the GO NOW! Evacuation Guide

Stop, breathe and read. The back panel of the Pocket Guide has the handy GO NOW! checklist that will help you make sure you don't drive off and leave your computer (or your cat) on the kitchen table. If you have to evacuate, grab it, read it, and make sure you've done as many steps as time permits. Then GO.

See also chapter 8