Your ultimate guide to wildfire preparedness | PEMCO

Fire safety matters matters year-round. With wildfire season in the #PNW growing longer and more severe every year, it’s important to stay vigilant even beyond the summer months.  
  
Wildfire preparation and fire safety might sound overwhelming, but they don’t need to be. In the spirit of helping you worry less and live more, our experts break down their top tips below.   

Most wildfires are preventable  

According to the National Park Service, 85% of all wildfires in the U.S. could be traced back to human causes such as fireworks, campfires, cigarettes, downed powerlines, etc. These are all preventable! You can do your part to help prevent wildfires by following these simple guidelines:  

• Never leave a fire unattended. Make sure it is completely extinguished before you leave. Never have a fire when you are in an area experiencing a significant drought or under a burn ban.  

• Dispose of cigarettes and matches properly. Do not throw them on the ground or out of a car window.  

• Avoid using DIY fireworks or flares, especially in dry or windy conditions. They can easily ignite vegetation or debris. Additionally, fireworks can be unpredictable, and may combust when you don’t want them to.  

• Report any downed or damaged power lines to the utility company as soon as you see them. Do not touch or approach them.    

Tips for homeowners  

If you own a home in a fire-prone area, there are important steps you can take to help mitigate the impact of wildfire if one were to occur near your home. These steps can help reduce the risk of fire damage to your home and property:   

• Create a defensible space around your home. What’s this mean? Put simply, creating a defensible space helps create a “fireproof area” around your structure where a fire is less likely to spread.  
  • Clean it up.  Clear away any flammable materials (dry leaves, branches, grass, mulch, etc.) within 30 feet of your home. Prune or remove trees and shrubs that are too close to your home or power lines. Clean your gutters.  
  • Store it safely. Be sure to store flammable materials (like spare propane tanks, gas-powered lawn mowers, etc.) in a shed that is a safe distance away from your home (not in your garage). Move your woodpile away from your home/structure.  
  • Create firebreaks. You can do this by using fire-resistant fencing (instead of wood, try iron, stone, or composite), and creating firebreaks in your landscaping with rockery, retaining walls, etc. Consider non-flammable patio furniture.  

• Make sure your smoke alarms are in proper working order. Test them monthly and replace the batteries annually.   

• Consider a sprinkler system.  Sprinklers can help suppress a fire and prevent it from spreading. 

Tips for renters   

If you rent a home or an apartment in a fire-prone area, you, too, can also take steps to safeguard your home and your loved ones. Here are three tips to help you prepare as a renter:  

• If you live in an apartment or multi-family housing, it does not hurt to coordinate with your landlord and neighbors. Your landlord is responsible for maintaining the fire safety of your building. Contact your landlord if you notice any fire hazards or issues, such as blocked exits or missing smoke alarms. We think it’s a best practice to communicate with your neighbors and form a fire safety plan together. You can help each other by checking on each other, sharing resources, or creating an evacuation plan together if you don’t already have one.  

• If you rent a home, many of the same “defensible space” practices from above still apply. Make sure to clean your gutters of debris and ensure there are no branches or shrubs growing too close to the structure of your home. Ensure flammables are stored safely, away from the home, and talk to your landlord if you note any major concerns.   

Evacuation levels  

If a wildfire were to erupt in an area close to your home, would you know when (and how) to evacuate? Do you know how to respond to certain evacuation levels? We break it down below:  

Level 1: A wildfire threat is in your area. Stay alert for notices and consider packing a bag (if you don’t have a go-bag ready) so you’re ready-to-go if needed.  

Level 2: People with mobility and medical issues should evacuate now. Livestock should be moved. Under a level 2, It’s possible authorities may order a general evacuation. This is the time to pack your car with essentials and personal items. Make a plan for family members to meet, and ensure you have a plan in place for your pets.  

Level 3: All residents in the area are ordered to evacuate, usually via a designated route. Perimeter roadblocks may be set up. Do not return until officials say it is safe to do so.  
  
Our tip? When it comes to evacuations, sooner is often better than later. That may mean leaving at a Level 2, before authorities officially order you to do. This may help you avoid congested roadways and the unsettling possibility of wildfire or heavy smoke interfering with your route out.  

What to keep in a “go bag”  

In case of a wildfire, you may need to evacuate your home quickly. In this situation, you’ll likely have minimal time to prepare. That’s why it’s imperative for you and your family to have a “go bag” ready with essential items. In addition, talk to the people you live with about your evacuation route and plan.   

PEMCO’s experts have some recommendations as to what you should consider putting in your “go bag”:  

• Water for three days for each member of your household  

• Non-perishable food  

• Any necessary prescription medications  

• First aid kit  

• Flashlight (and batteries)  

• Phone charger(s)  

• Copies of important documents  

• Small amount of cash  

• Change of clothes for each member of your household  

For a more detailed list, look here.   

How to track fires and check air quality (AQI)  

 Wildfires can spread quickly and unpredictably. It’s our hope that all Pacific Northwest residents know how to stay informed about the wildfire situation in their area.  

You can use these resources to track fires near you:  

• The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) provides up-to-date information on active fires, fire potential, and fire outlooks.   

• The Washington State Department of Natural Resources works hard to ensure that all Washington state residents receive current wildfire incident information as soon as possible. You can follow them on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @waDNR_fire.   

• This map is a great resource for tracking wildfires in the state of Oregon.  

• The Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are national public warning systems that broadcast emergency messages to your TV, radio, or mobile device. They can alert you to imminent threats, such as evacuation orders, fire warnings, or shelter-in-place instructions.  

 Breathing clean air is important for everyone. To learn more about the air quality in your area, you can check the AQI through airnow.gov.   

The AirNow website and app show the current and forecasted AQI for your location. The AQI measures how clean or polluted the air is and what health effects you may experience through exposure.  

Wildfire prevention as a community  

Even the thought of a wildfire is unnerving, but they’re becoming an annual part of living in the Pacific Northwest. For us at PEMCO, sharing timely, carefully-sourced information from trusted safety organizations is an important part of our “worry less, live more” commitment to ALL our neighbors.   
  
When we all employ these practices as a community—rather than individuals—we can make a bigger, better impact on wildfire prevention. We’re better together.  

Stay safe, #PNW!