Design and landscape your home with wildfire safety in mind. Select materials and plants that can help contain fire rather than fuel it. Use fire-resistant or noncombustible materials on the roof and exterior structure of the dwelling, or treat wood or combustible material used in roofs, siding, decking, or trim with fire-retardant chemicals evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Plant fire-resistant shrubs and trees. For example, hardwood trees are less flammable than pine, evergreen, eucalyptus, or fir trees.

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Create a 30- to 100-foot safety zone around your home

Within this area, you can take steps to reduce potential exposure to flames and radiant heat. Homes built in pine forests should have a minimum safety zone of 100 feet. If your home sits on a steep slope, standard protective measures may not suffice. Contact your local fire department or forestry office for additional information.

• Rake leaves, dead limbs, and twigs. Clear all flammable vegetation.
• Remove leaves and rubbish from understructures.
• Thin a 15-foot space between tree crowns,and remove limbs within 15 feet of the ground.
• Remove dead branches that extend over the roof.
• Prune tree branches and shrubs within 15 feet of a stovepipe or chimney outlet.
• Ask the power company to clear branches from powerlines.
• Remove vines from the walls of the home.
• Mow grass regularly.
• Clear a 10-foot area around propane tanks and the barbecue. Place a screen over the grill -- use nonflammable material with mesh no coarser than one-quarter inch.
• Regularly dispose of newspapers and rubbish at an approved site. Follow local burning regulations.
• Place stove, fireplace, and grill ashes in a metal bucket, soak in water for 2 days, then bury the cold ashes in mineral soil.
• Store gasoline, oily rags, and other flammable materials in approved safety cans. Place cans in a safe location away from the base of buildings.
• Stack firewood at least 100 feet away and uphill from your home. Clear combustible material within 20 feet. Use only wood- burning devices evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwrit- ers Laboratories (UL).
• Review your homeowner’s insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home’s contents.

Source: U. S. Fire Administration Wildfilre Preparation Guide, www.usfa.fema.gov