Wildfire 101 ~ PreppDay Wednesday

Very quickly I have been forced to learn about wildfires.  Mainly because I'm in the middle of one right now, literally.  My home was designated a Level 3 Evac ~ meaning mandatory evacuation.  So as we sit at my Mom's just a few miles away (and waiting to be evacuated from here) I've Googled 'Wildfire' more times then anyone should have to do.  

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One thing that has kept me calm is that my SuperHubbie is also the Assistant SuperChief on our local volunteer Fire Department.  This has allowed me up-to-the-minute knowledge of what's happening.  He has also driven me up to spots where I can visually see where the fire is in relation to my house.  I also have a brother, sister and grandmother who have been given a Level 2 Evacuation notice to be ready to leave their homes as well.  Scary.

The Survival Place Blog

This is exactly what started our wildfires.  Lightening storms.  Over 2,300 lightening flashes in 2 hours which started 60 fires over 3 counties.  My backyard wildfire was designated a 'State of Emergency' today.  Not the way you want to meet your Governor, I tell ya.  

Skies over my home in Southern Oregon

So what can we do to help protect our homes in the event of wildfires?  Quite a bit actually.  Unfortunately it needs to be done before the fire is knocking at your door.  Prepping really.  Most of us don't enjoy planning for future disasters but I learned this past week that Prepping isn't just storing food.  Here are some great sites I've found with wonderful information on wildfires and how to prepare and protect your homes.

7 Essential Steps to Protect Your Home From Wildfire by The (Reformed) Idealist Mom is a must read for what to do before a fire strikes.

This is a great info-graphic from the Orange Country Register sums up some must-know tips.

Do you have a Log Home?  Check out the special landscaping precautions from Timber Home Living.

Important information from SOS Survival Products on what to do to protect yourself from wildfire smoke.

I found this great tool to download from the USDA Forest Service called Active Fire Mapping.  It works with Google Earth to see where a wildfire is and watch it's progression at any given address.  Needless to say I've been Google Earthing my home all day.  To use this tool open up Google Earth and upload where it says Fire Detections (MODIS): Current

Watching my tiny little town of 800 people be enveloped with over 1000 Firefighters risking their lives to protect my home has been overwhelming.  What HERO'S!  Many Wildfire Firefighters are young men.  Some just out of high school.  
Pray for them and may God protect and bless them!

Wolf Creek Inn

I pray at night and keep my hopes up during the day that my house will be there tomorrow.  That's about all I can do now.  I asked my hubbie what he would have done different and his answer: a sprinkler system on the roof.

One Stop Fire Products

So I leave you with that great idea from my SuperHubbie and some smart advice from Darth.  My thoughts...a whole bunch of food storage and barrels of water won't do you any good if it's burned up!  Prepping is planning for the possibility of disasters, and surviving it.  

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Do you have any wildfire tips for protecting your home and family? Please share your thoughts below. =)