With ever-worsening drought conditions, authorities predict Arizona may experience its worst fire season ever this summer. The fires likely won’t be limited to rural, mountain areas. Authorities say the drought conditions have placed urban homes and businesses in jeopardy as well.

“The Forestry Division of the Arizona State Land Department estimates that over 3000 homes and businesses were threatened by wildland fires in 2006,” says Ron Williams, Executive Director for AIC. “Along with autos, boats and other personal property, the economic losses could be in the millions of dollars."

The AIC advises homeowners and businesses to consider the following precautions.

Preparing for a Wildfire Catastrophe

1. Protect Your Family.

• Create a family disaster preparedness plan by identifying escape routes from your home, work and neighborhood. You should also designate an emergency meeting place if you become separated from each other.
• Make a record of your personal belongings and store in a place other than your home. An inventory list saved on a computer disc or handwritten, video taped or photographed will be helpful in having your claim paid more quickly. Inventory lists should be as detailed as possible, including descriptions, purchase dates or approximate age of items, cost at time of purchase and estimated replacement cost.
• "Know Your Stuff – Home Inventory Software" was created to help consumers develop and maintain an inventory of their personal property. To download this free software, please click here.

2. Create A Defensible Space And Encourage Your Neighbors To Do So As Well 

To create defensible space, you must view your yard as a fuel source. Fire will burn only if fuel, like landscaping, woodpiles and decks, are present. To create your defensible space, take the following steps within at least 30 feet of your home, or 50-100 feet if you live in a heavily wooded are:

• Prune trees and shrubs.
• Branches on taller trees should be a minimum of 10 feet from the ground.
• Remove dead leaves and branches, especially around the roof and chimney.
• Mow your lawn regularly and dispose promptly of cuttings and debris.
• Clear your roof, gutters and eaves of debris.
• Move firewood and storage tanks 50 feet away from your home.
• Store flammable liquids properly. 

3. Minimize Risk Through Smart Landscaping 

When landscaping, take these additional steps to help protect your home:

• Introduce more native vegetation
• Space trees at least 10 feet apart.
• Do not connect wooden fencing directly to your home. 

4. Build Or Retrofit Your Home With Non-Flammable Material 

• The type of materials used on your home’s exterior can provide another line of defense.
• Use only non-combustible roofing products.
• Enclose and screen eaves, fascias, and sub floor vents using ¼” non-combustible screening.
• Install spark arresters on chimneys.
• Enclose decks with fire-resistant materials like stucco, stone, or brick. Vinyl siding can melt and is not recommended.
• Use double-paned or tempered glass for all exterior windows. 

Insurance Preparedness

An insurance policy check-up is also essential, suggests the AIC. Home and business owners should contact their agent or insurance company to make certain they have the level of coverage they desire.

Key points to go over with your insurance company or agent include:

• Does the policy cover the current costs of rebuilding your house? - In recent years, inflation has been relatively benign except in certain sectors. One of those sectors is building materials. The increases in cost for lumber, steel, concrete and copper have significantly outpaced other products measured by the Consumer Price Index. Those price increases affect what insurers pay to repair and rebuild homes and the costs of satisfying those claims is shared by all homeowner insurance consumers.



• Does your policy provide coverage for additional living expenses, such as hotel bills and restaurant meals for the time you are evacuated from your home and/or while your home is being rebuilt?



• Make sure your insurance company or agent is aware of any improvements you have made on your home. Updating a kitchen, new carpeting or installing a swimming pool adds to the value of your home.



• Upgrades to your home electrical system, plumbing system as well as installation of anti-theft alarms or fire sprinklers can reduce your insurance premium.

If Your Home or Business is Threatened by a Wildfire  

Immediately heed any warning to evacuate to a designated shelter. Take supplies such as drinking water, non-perishable food, first aid supplies, a portable radio, cell phone, clothing, blankets, prescription medicine, cash, family photos, sentimental heirlooms and memorabilia as well as copies of important documents such as insurance policies.

If a wildfire does occur and you are sure you have time, consider turning off propane tanks and pilot lights, shut off gas at the meter, move flammable furniture to the center of the home away from windows, wet or remove shrubs within 15 feet of the home, wet the roof and near above ground fuel tanks. These small steps can help protect against devastating damages to your home and personal belonging.

Also, consider taking these steps to protect your home:

• Close windows, vents, doors, blinds and heavy drapes.
• Turn on a light in each room to increase the visibility of your home in heavy smoke.
• Remove tanks from portable gas grills.
• Connect the garden hose to outside taps.
• Position an aluminum ladder, if available, for use by fire personnel.