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Media Contacts:
Lorraine Carli, NFPA, (617) 984-7275
[LOCAL CONTACT NAME w/ HYPERLINKED EMAIL, ORGANIZATION NAME, PHONE NUMBER]
Wildfire Preparation Resources: Tips for Residents to Prepare Homes, Evacuate
Recent wildfire activity in [STATE, REGION or MUNICIPALITY] has forced many residents to consider how
to best prepare their families and their homes for the potential for wildfire damage. [ORGANIZATION
NAME], wildfire safety experts from the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Firewise®
Communities Program and the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ (IAFC) Ready, Set, Go! Program
are providing information to residents for how they may reduce the risk of losing their home to wildfire
while being prepared to evacuate if called to do so.
Steps outlined in IAFC’s Ready, Set, Go! wildfire readiness program, in partnership with NFPA’s Firewise
Communities Program, addresses the three major phases of wildfire safety – preparation, situational
awareness and survival. Important steps include:
Ready: Take personal responsibility and prepare long before the threat of a wildfire so your home is
ready in case of a fire. Create defensible space by clearing brush away from your home. Use fireresistant landscaping and harden your home with fire-safe construction measures. Assemble emergency
supplies and belongings in a safe spot. Make sure all residents residing within the home are on the same
page, and know planned escape routes.
Set: Get your family and home prepared at the onset of fire in your area. Gather family pets and have
them prepared to evacuate. Pack your vehicle with your emergency items including medication and
personal identification. Stay aware of the latest news from local media and your local fire department
for updated information on the fire. Be prepared to evacuate your home if called to do so.
Go: Do not linger once evacuation orders have been given. Leave early and stay away until your area has
been cleared for return by local officials. Promptly leaving your home and neighborhood clears roads for
firefighters to get equipment in place to best suppress or fight the wildfire and ensures you and your
family’s safety.
Given the current level of wildfire activity in [STATE, REGION or MUNICIPALITY], residents in high-risk
areas should be prepared to get Ready, Set and Go.
Tips for [STATE, REGION or MUNICIPALITY] Residents:
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Obey outdoor burning bans. Don’t burn trash or debris when conditions are dry or windy.
Unsafe burning of leaves, brush, household trash and other debris is a main cause of wildfires.
If camping or hunting, check local restrictions on campfires. Use an approved gas stove as an
alternative for heating and cooking. If charcoal grills are permitted, use them only over fire
proof surfaces such as asphalt or bare mineral soil.
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Dispose of smoking materials properly. Extinguish them in an ashtray. Don’t throw them out
your window.
Avoid parking and idling in dry grass. Catalytic converters can get hot enough to ignite the grass.
Keep water available when using welding equipment or cutting torches around grass and brush.
A five-gallon bucket of water with a tote sack in it could prove valuable if sparks or hot pieces of
metal catch nearby grass on fire.
Avoid setting hot chainsaws or other gas-powered equipment in dry grass, which could ignite
after coming into contact with hot mufflers.
How Everyone Can Prepare for Wildfire:
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Clear leaves and other debris from gutters, eaves, porches and decks. This prevents embers
from igniting your home.
Keep your lawn hydrated and maintained. Dry grass and shrubs are fuel for wildfire. If it is
brown cut it down to reduce fire intensity.
Remove fuel within 3-5 feet of your home’s foundation and out buildings including garages and
sheds. If it can catch fire, don’t let it touch your house, deck or porch.
Remove dead vegetation surrounding your home, within the 30-100 foot area.
Wildfire can spread to tree tops. If you have large trees on your property, prune so the lowest
branches are 6 to 10 feet high.
Don’t let debris and lawn cuttings linger. Dispose of these items quickly to reduce fuel for fire.
When planting, choose slow-growing, carefully placed shrubs and trees so the area can be more
easily maintained.
Landscape with native and less-flammable plants. Your state forestry agency or county
extension office can provide plant information.
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More than 800 communities in the U.S. – including [XX] in [STATE] – have dramatically lowered their risk
of wildfire damage by participating in the Firewise Communities/USA® Recognition Program. For more
information, visit www.firewise.org. [STATE, REGION or MUNICIPALITY] residents can learn more about
region-specific Firewise principles and how to contact their local forester at [ORGANIZATION WEBSITE].
About [ORGANIZATION NAME]
[ORGANIZATION BOILERPLATE]
About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building, and life safety. The mission of the international
nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on
the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and
education. NFPA develops more than 300 codes and standards to minimize the possibility and effects of
fire and other hazards. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed at no cost at
www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.
About Firewise
The Firewise Communities Program encourages local solutions for safety by involving homeowners in
taking individual responsibility for preparing their homes from the risk of wildfire. Firewise is one
element of the Fire Adapted Communities initiative – a national effort that engages homeowners,
firefighters, civic leaders and land managers to reduce wildfire risk in communities throughout the
United States. The Firewise Communities Program and the Fire Adapted Communities initiative are
sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association and USDA Forest Service.
About Ready, Set, Go! Program
The Ready, Set, Go! Program utilizes firefighters to teach individuals who live in high risk wildfire areas
and the wildland-urban-interface (WUI) how to best prepare themselves and their properties against fire
threats. Ready, Set, Go! works in a complimentary and collaborative fashion with Firewise and other
existing wildland fire public education efforts. It amplifies their messages to individuals to better achieve
the common goal we all share in fire-adapted communities.
About IAFC
The IAFC represents the leadership of firefighters and emergency responders worldwide; our members
are the world's leading experts in firefighting, emergency medical services, terrorism response,
hazardous materials spills, natural disasters, search and rescue, and public safety policy. Since 1873, the
IAFC has provided a forum for fire and emergency service leaders to exchange ideas, develop
professionally and uncover the latest products and services available to first responders.
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