The Town of Farmington would like to offer some suggestions on reducing the risk of fire hazards around your home and properties as we come into the hotter and drier months of the year. These tips come from a few different sources, links will be included, along with other resources.
TIPS FOR HOME LANDSCAPING IN DRY CONDITIONS
Work in the mornings or late evenings to avoid the hottest parts of the day and postpone your work when the weather calls for low humidity or high wind.
Keep a water hose or bucket or fire extinguisher on hand.
Use a nylon or plastic weed whacker line instead of metal.
Keep grassy areas “Clean, Lean and Green”.
Be careful not to set a hot tool down on dry grass or leaves.
Be sure recreation vehicles have operating spark arrestors.
Do not park vehicles in dry, grassy areas as residual heat from exhaust systems can ignite the dry grass.
If conditions are right for outdoor burning, keep your debris piles small and have a hose ready should your fire escape.
Stay home for an hour after finishing your work – this way you’ll be around to notice if anything begins to smolder and smoke.
Know the current wildfire risk in your county, destination, or area you may be working in.
Residents can do their part to help prevent wildfires and to protect their homes from fire by staying informed about Washington’s burn bans, current wildfires in their area, and fire safety practices.
HERE IS A LIST OF LINKS:
Current Active Fires: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/6cdda73cf6154949a1fae76ccb2900a0
FEMA: https://emilms.fema.gov/IS320/WM0103040text.htm
National Fire Protection Association: https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/wildfire/preparing-homes-for-wildfire
WA State Dept of Natural Resources: https://www.dnr.wa.gov/WildfirePrevention
Western Fire Chiefs Association: https://wfca.com/wildfire-articles/wildfire-mitigation-examples/
Texas A&M Forest Service: https://texaswildfirerisk.com/home-ignition-zones
Fire-Resistant Plants for Eastern WA: https://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/rp_fire_resistant_plants_guide_easternwa.pdf