On the hills north of the Capitol, a July wildfire forced the evacuation of about 40 homes as flames quickly spread within a half-mile of a Salt Lake City neighborhood.
Evacuation orders were later lifted as firefighters began to contain the blaze, preventing damage to homes. But the sudden directive served as a reminder that it’s never too early to prepare for wildfires, especially as Utah this year faces a particularly active wildfire season.
Here’s steps experts say you can take to better prepare your home and protect your family before a wildfire ignites.
Create defensible spaces around your home
This step is essentially like creating “buffer areas” around your property, explained Karl Hunt, a spokesperson with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.
“What you’re doing is you’re creating an area where the fire can’t have direct access to get to your home,” Hunt said.
Here’s what the National Fire Protection Association recommends:
Five feet from your home: Make sure there are no combustibles in the area, such as firewood piles and dried grass. Make a point to clear rain gutters of dried-up leaves, too. Even the smallest fuels can accelerate into a large fire.
Five to 30 feet from your home: Considering planting flowers or other low-growing plants widely apart — at least two times their full-grown height. If they are already planted, it’s best to keep them under 18 inches tall.
When it comes to trees, opt for planting deciduous trees over coniferous trees, the Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands recommends. Studies show deciduous trees burn less, while coniferous trees can be highly flammable.
Up to 200 feet away from your home: Make sure there are no dead plants or debris that could create a fire trail to your home. This includes overlapping tree branches that may lead toward and touch your roof.
For more information about creating defensible spaces, visit:
- https://www.nfpa.org/en/Education-and-Research/Wildfire/Preparing-homes-for-wildfire
- https://ffsl.utah.gov/fire/wildfire-community-preparedness/homeowner-education/
Pack a personalized disaster kit
Different people may need different things in their disaster kits, but common items include copies of important financial documents; military history records; and birth, death and marriage certificates.
The Utah Division of Emergency Management also recommends packing three days worth of nonperishable foods, plenty of water, at least five days worth of just-in-case cash, hygiene items and a first aid kit.
“In advance, write down a list of all the things in your home that you want to take with you in the event of an evacuation,” said Wade Mathews, a spokesperson emergency management division.
function onSignUp() { const token = grecaptcha.getResponse(); if (!token) { alert("Please verify the reCAPTCHA!"); } else { axios .post( "https://8c0ug47jei.execute-api.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/dev/newsletter/checkCaptcha", { token, env: "PROD", } ) .then(({ data: { message } }) => { console.log(message); if (message === "Human
