When a wildfire has been reported near your home and an evacuation is anticipated, complete this checklist of steps (if time allows) to give your home the best chance of surviving:
- Gather up flammable items from the exterior of the house and bring them inside: patio furniture, toys, door mats, lawn equipment, planters or trash cans. Or place the items into your pool.
- Turn off propane tanks.
- Move propane BBQ equipment away from structure.
- Connect garden hoses to outside water valves or spigots for use by firefighters.
- Fill water buckets and place them around the house.
- Don't leave sprinklers on or water running; they can affect critical water pressure.
- Leave exterior and interior lights on so your home is visible to firefighters in the smoke or darkness of night.
- Put your emergency supply kit in your vehicle.
- Back your car into the driveway, with the vehicle loaded and windows/doors closed. Carry your keys with you.
- Have a ladder available and place it in the corner of your house for firefighters to quickly access your roof.
- Seal attic and vents with pre-cut plywood or commercial seals.
- Monitor your property and the fire situation. Don't wait for an evacuation order, leave when you can.
- Check on neighbors and make sure they are preparing to leave.
- Shut all windows and doors, but leave them unlocked.
- Remove flammable window shades and curtains. Close metal shutters.
- Move flammable furniture to the center of the room, away from windows and doors.
- Shut off gas at the meter. Turn off pilot light.
- Shut off air conditioning.
- Locate your pets and keep them with you.
- Prepare livestock for transport and think about relocating them to a safe location prior to evacuation.
Finally, if you haven’t done so already, provide your insurance agent with an emergency contact phone number and email address. This will allow your agent and Cincinnati to keep you informed and provide support if necessary.