Summer - a time for sunscreen, popsicles, BBQ, camping trips…and wildfires.

Wildfires are extremely common during the summer months. We have witnessed it again this summer. In fact, so far as of mid-August this year there are over 4,798 wildfires in Canada alone.1

Hopefully, we won’t ever have to deal with the threat of an onrushing wildfire, but in case we do, it’s important to know how to protect ourselves. Fortunately, there are steps everyone can take. As your advisory team, we are not just concerned about your finances—it’s your wellbeing that’s most important. So we thought you might find it helpful to read a few notes on wildfire preparedness.

To Protect Your Property

The best way to protect your property from wildfire is to create a defensible space around it.2 Defensible space is an area around a structure where fuels and vegetation are treated, cleared, or reduced to slow the spread of wildfire toward the structure. Here are just a few ways to create a defensible space3:

· Actively manage your roof. Clean your roof and gutters of pine needles and leaves to eliminate an ignition source for fire. Repair or replace any loose or missing shingles/tiles to prevent ember penetration.

· Stack firewood away from your house. Locate firewood at least 30 feet from your home. Do not stack firewood under your deck.

· Keep lawns and grasses mowed to a height of four inches. Remove vegetation under trees so a surface fire cannot reach the crown of a tree. Prune lower limbs up to 6-10 feet from the ground.

· Remove unhealthy vegetation. Trees and shrubs that are stressed, diseased, dead, or dying should be removed so that they do not become a fuel source for a potential fire. If a fire occurs in your area, there are other things you can do to minimize potential fire damage if a defensible space is not enough:

· Move any flammable material away from wall exteriors, like mulch, plants, leaves, or anything else that can burn.

· Fill trash cans and buckets with water and place them where firefighters can find them.

· Move combustible yard furniture away from the house or into the garage. Close all doors, windows, and vents, and cover them with fire-resistant material such as plywood, if possible.

Preparing to Evacuate

Sometimes the worst happens and people are forced to evacuate their homes. You can prepare for this by doing the following:

· Put together an emergency kit, complete with food, water, first aid supplies, a flashlight, and a portable radio. Make sure this kit stays stocked and is in an easily-accessible location. Update the kit as needed.

· Pack your car ahead of time with clothes, important documents, and whatever small family heirlooms you can’t replace.

· Shut off your gas line. Make sure all family members and pets are accounted for and then leave the house. Lock the door as you head out, then head to the nearest safe location or shelter.

Finally, if a fire or any other type of disaster should ever affect you, don’t hesitate to give us a call.

We will do whatever we can to help. And if you need access to your money, we’ll make it happen as quickly as possible.

From all of us here at The Omell Financial Group we hope you had a safe and happy summer.

1 “National Wild Fire Summary,” Government of Canada National wildland fire summary https://cwfis.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/en/summary 2 “Wildfire Mitigation,” Colorado State Forest Service, https://csfs.colostate.edu/wildfire-mitigation/ 3 “Preparing homes for wildfire,” National Fire Protection Association, https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/wildfire/preparing-homes-for-wildifre.

Source Bill Good Letters Library