A DISASTER PLAN
The time to plan for any emergency is before the event.
• Put together a quick kit with a list of what to take with you if you need to leave your home in 5 minutes. Include medications, passports, valuables and important documents.
• Practice a family fire drill. Evacuations for wildfire can occur without notice.
• Have a plan for your pets including carrier/leash, food and water.
• Leave before it’s too late. Decide where you will go and how you will get there.
• Know the basic evacuation routes from your home in case of an emergency. During an emergency, emergency services personnel may direct you a different exit route or a staging area. See evacuation map at this link on page 7 of the Firewise Brochure...
TGO FIREWISE PARTNERS
TGO Community Service Association
Florida Forest Service
Brevard County Fire Rescue
St. Johns River Water Management District
National Fire Protection Association
Additional Information and Resources
• Review the Firewise video, “Reducing Wildfire Risks at TGO” that explains the importance of practicing the commonsense basics of Firewise within our community.
• Get “The Great Outdoors Guide to Preparing for Wildfire” brochure at this link...
WILDFIRE PROTECTION IN TGO
• Like the TGO Firewise Facebook page: www.facebook.com/TGO.Firewise
• Contact TGO Firewise at firewise@tgocsa.com
Our goal is to encourage actions that minimize losses due to wildfires from within and around our community
View this brochure on line.
PREPARATION
A few simple actions may help save your home!
• Clean the roof and gutters on your home or/and RV. Dried leaves and pine needles are perfect materials to catch on fire quickly.
• Clean out flammable materials underneath your deck and RV.
• Consider your outbuilding construction type. Is it flammable? What is stored in it? Think of combustibles inside that once ignited, will make the fire go from small to explosive; Significant fire hazards include LP tanks, gasoline, lawn chemicals, or fertilizers.
• Have your house number easily visible from the street so that emergency services can find you during the day and at night.
• Keep 25-50 feet of hose readily available at a faucet away from the structure.
• Have tools such as a shovel, rake, handsaw, bucket, broom, and fire extinguisher easily available.
DEFENSIBLE SPACE
The goal of Firewise landscaping is to create and maintain ideally a 30-foot safety zone around your home and/or RV. This “defensible space” reduces the wildfire threat to your home by changing the charcteristics of the flammable vegetation and increases the likelihood that a home or RV will survive a wildfire, even in the absence of firefighters. This defensible space does not need to be devoid of shrubs and trees but should be wisely landscaped with plants known to be less flammable.
Your Landscaping should be Lean, Clean, and Green:
Lean – Prune shrubs and cut back tree branches.
Clean – Remove dead plant material from around your home; this includes dead leaves and dry vegetation.
Green – Plant fire-resistant vegetation that is healthy and green throughout the year. Note: You need to contact CSA/ARC before working beyond your property line.
ALSO REMEMBER TO:
4 Landscape with less-flammable plants. See list of plants at this link on page 5 of the Firewise Brochure...
4 Keep trees and shrubs pruned. Prune all trees six to 10 feet from the ground.
4 Take out the “ladder fuels” vegetation that serves as a link between grass and treetops. These fuels can carry fire from vegetation to a structure or other trees further spreading the fire.
4 Replace vegetative mulches such as shredded bark with stone.
4 Make sure there is no vegitation touching any structures.
4 Dispose of cuttings and debris by bringing them to the curb for CSA to haul away.
