The first thing to do when a wildfire approach is to create a plan. A plan will ensure that throughout the chaos, you will have a plan of action to recover and ensure your families’ safety.
Remember that material objects inside your home can be easily replaced, so always follow any evacuation orders that may arise. Let the firefighters perform their job and do not stay behind to fight the fires with a watering hose.
If a wildfire is approaching, here are some things you can do to minimize the damage :
When it is time to go, it is time to go. Evacuation orders are a must, leave your home immediately and grab your “to go” bag. There is no material item in your home that is worth your life.
Reporting “hot spots” to officials is critical in fighting fires. Call 911 immediately to report, it can potentially save your home. Then evacuate.
The first thing you must do before you evacuate is shut off the gas. Turn off any propane, natural gas, and pilot lights. Then evacuate as soon as you can.
Making your home visible to firefighters may be critical to saving your home. Lights may be seen through all the smoke and alert firefighters.
If time allows, removing any “kindling” like patio furniture, doormats, trash, and dry leaves may reduce the damage to your home.
If you are in a gated property, make sure to leave the gates propped open for firefighters to easily access your property. Leaving a ladder at the corner of your house can allow firefighters to even get on the roof if necessary to fight a fire.
If time allows, you may be able to dampen your property. Turn on the sprinklers and wet down your roofs, shrubs, and dry areas. Be sure to turn off the water before you evacuate the property.
After you have evacuated, start planning on how to recover from the wildfires. Prepare for if you find your property burnt to the ground, or just need professional deodorization and cleaning. Have a restoration company in mind to come out to the property once evacuations have lifted. Allied Restoration has a Wildfire Assistance Program that will provide priority service to restore homes back into livable conditions.
Wildfire damages in California are at an all-time high and everyone will be scrambling to get back into their homes as soon as they can. It is very important that you beat the demand of needing a professional restoration company like Allied Restoration to come out to your property for an inspection. Allied Restoration has a Wildfire Assistance Program that will provide priority service to those that are on the list.
The Wildfire Assistance Program assists homeowners to return home as soon as evacuations lift and guide the homeowners through the next steps with an early appointment and inspection. Without being on the priority list, many homeowners have waited 3-6 weeks before they can get an inspection. Get on the list today and get back into your home.
