Prepare Your Farm or Ranch Before the Wildfire

Being prepared for wildfire can go a long way. Here are some things you can do before each wildfire season:

1. Create and update an emergency plan. Ensure all employees know what the plan is and how they can contribute.
2. Sign up for mobile emergency alerts. Check with your county’s Office of Emergency Services to determine what emergency notification programs are available in your county
3. Apply for your local Livestock/Ag Pass Program. This provides you a form of verification to access your properties and tend to your crops and livestock during disaster evacuations when conditions are safe to return. Qualifications vary by county.
4. Backup and store business records, inventories, vaccination records, and other key information to aid in the disaster relief process. Consider cloud-based storage for digital files.
5. Harden the structures on your property.
6. Create and maintain a defensible space strategy for all structures and assets.
7. Prepare plywood covers for vulnerable openings (windows, doors, etc).

Help Emergency Responders

Connect with your local fire department and share key information that they could use during a wildfire. You can benefit from this partnership by having firefighters familiar with your property, increasing the potential for your property to be protected. Remember that first responders may come from different regions across the country, so it is recommended to use signs and information that can be easily interpreted. Key information includes:

• Gate codes and where gates are located. If possible, leave gates unlocked during a wildfire.
• Post weight limits on any bridges or water crossings.
• Maps of your property labeled with roads and access points, gates, water sources, septic system, hazardous materials (pesticides) storage, or water lines.
• Maintain lateral and vertical access clearance along roads and indicate turnaround points.

Label water sources (pools, ponds, tanks and wells) using a blue reflector and indicate if you have a pump that can help them fill their engines if they need to draft. Clearly label all emergency water sources with reflective signs. Consider providing a small “trash pump” if your water source does not have a pump since drafting takes longer for firefighters to refill. Helicopters can use ponds and pools to refill.