Wildfire Part II - Planning For The Worst

Oct 11

It’s October and not only is fall upon us, but we are in the driest part of the year. Although we were lucky to have some rain a few weeks ago (rain in September??!! 🙏, we are still very much in a drought and have had another long, hot summer. Historically here in California, October was “Wildfire Month” because it was the dry season, and that’s when we used to see the fires. However, that season seems to have extended over at least 6-8 months of the year now.

You may recall earlier this year I sent out a few emails on Wildfire Prevention and Fire Safe plants to use around your home and barn. In case you missed them here are the links:

Wildfire Part I

Fire Smart

It’s my sincerest hope that you will never have to experience a wildfire at home or at the barn. But these days, we MUST plan for the worst. Here are some bullet points to address or revisit to ensure you and all your 4-legged friends are ready for the worst.

Step 1: Ready Your Property

Clear gutters around home and barns
Trim all brush, trees, weeds, or better yet, get a few goats! (There are several next door to our boarding facility and there’s not a weed in sight!!)
Create or manage the defensible space around your home and barns.
- At least 100ft of cleared area between any flammable material and your home or barn. This prevents flames and embers from igniting structures and also provides firefighters a safe area to work so they can defend your property
- Link to How To Build Defensible Space: https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/get-ready/defensible-space/
Install a metallic mesh on your vents and make sure #1 is completed to keep embers out!

Step 2: Make a Plan

Horses - Whether you own your own horse property or board your horses on someone else's property, knowing what the fire plan is for your horses is critical. We all know horses are flight animals and behave erratically in high stress situations. Because of this, it’s extremely important that there is a well thought out plan for what will happen to your horse(s) in the case of a fire.

Where will they go and who will get them there?
In case of evacuation, who will transport the horses? How many trips will be needed?
In case of having to stay on site, where can the horses be corralled away from fire?
Reminder!! Stalls must be closed after removing the horse from the stall in the emergency as they are likely to return given the chance, even if their stall is on fire.
Pack an emergency supply kit and store it in a place less likely to burn (metal horse trailer, storage shed or at home)

People - REMEMBER THE SIX “P’S” - Keep These Six “P’s” Ready In Case Immediate Evacuation Is Required: