Page 12 - Sonoma County Gazette Juy 2019

What IS DEFENSIBLE SPACE?
People see 30’ clearance around their home and they laugh. There is no 30 feet from my home...that’s in the next door neighbor’s living room!
Defensible Space is space that can be defended.
It’s as simple as that. If you prepare your home and neighborhood so that it doesn’t burst into flames and spread rapidly from home to home, it can be defended. Take a look around...
Tall grass? If you can’t take care of this yourself, hire a landscaper, or go to Labor Ready or one of the established Day Labor centers where you can hire affordable help. Ask a neighbor if you can’t afford to hire someone. This is a neighborhood issue, not just YOUR problem.
Dry and dead branches on trees or on the ground? You may need a tree service if your trees are overgrown, branches are touching your roof, or too close to the ground. Your neighborhood can get together to save money by having the whole, neighborhood taken care of at the same time.
Roadside Chipper Program. Properties in unincorporated Sonoma County are eligible to receive up to 3 hours of complimentary chipping. On average, this is enough time to chip a pile of vegetation that is approximately 50 feet long, 4 feet tall, and 8 feet wide. The program, which is offered May- November (weather dependent), is available on a first-come, first served basis. Last year, the program served over 450 properties spanning the County from Cloverdale/north to Sonoma/south; Kenwood/east to Jenner/west. Sign on at out more online at sonomacounty.ca.gov/fire-prevention/chipper-program or (707) 565-1900 with Permit Sonoma
Wooden privacy fences between homes? Break the run with a non-flammable barrier like a metal gate. Make it wide enough to stop fire so it doesn’t travel along the fence like flame along a wick, carrying fire from home to home. The longer the non-flammable section - the better your protection.
Replace landscape bark with compost mulch to keep soil moist around your plants while preventing bark from turning into flying embers during a high wind fire. Keep flammable vegetation away from your home
Clean gutters and roof. Make sure there are no dry leaves on your roof and collected in gutters. Gutter guards help but sometimes collect dry material along the edge between the gutter and the roof.
Think fire truck space! When your neighborhood gets together to discuss emergency preparedness, find a place where fire trucks can park to defend your homes. An extra wide driveway, a neighbor with a large parking area, etc. The closer to fire hydrants the better.
Make a PLAN
Do live alone? Do you have pets? Do you have children?
What if you or your family are not home when disaster strikes?
So many of these plans assume you are all home together. Your family, the
Emergencies don’t respect plans. They happen!
neighbors, cats, dogs, pets in cages.
Make a WHAT IF plan.
Parents are at work...kids are at school...Grandmom is in a nursing home... best friend is across town. How do you get connected and stay connected?
In the center of an emergency you could care less about your home, all you want is the people you love with you...right now. How are going to accomplish that? How realistic is that? Who among you can be counted on to hold it together and who will fall apart? Who is dependent and who is capable of taking care of him/herself and others as well?
So many questions. So easy to put it off for another day.
Emergencies don’t respect procrastination.
Sorry. Just the way it is. Prioritize this NOW while you can...please.
12 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 7/19