Each year around this time we push out a reminder of some things that we urge everyone to consider doing in order to keep their homes and families safe through the holiday season.

Around the outside of your home, consider the following actions:

>Clear leaves and debris away from combustible finishings and structures. A clear space of at least 30 feet in all directions should be maintained around houses, decks, outbuildings, barns, etc... In this space, leaves, branches and dead trees should be removed.
>Keep gutters, porches, decks and roof valleys free and clear of dead leaves, branches and sticks. These can be ignited by flying embers from other fires.
>Before burning leaves, get a burn permit and check the weather. Look for humidity levels, wind predictions and high fire danger warnings.
>Make sure your road and driveway are clearly marked. Delays caused by difficulty in locating an address can have deadly or devastating consequences.
>Keep your step and walkways free of ice and snow by applying ice melt, shoveling or scraping.
>If you have an emergency generator, make sure it's installed correctly so as to prevent a back feed of the power grid. Power from a home generator when introduced to the power grid can lead to deadly consequences for power crews, firefighters and law enforcement officers that are out working in the storms that cause power outages.
>Keep a check on the weather and make sure your vehicles are ready for winter driving. Have an emergency kit in every vehicle in case you become stranded in freezing weather.
>Don't leave boxes indicating you received expensive gifts where anyone can see them as this may tempt criminals to break into your home.

Inside your home, consider the following:
>If you have holiday decorations, make sure they are powered by outlets and cords designed to carry the loads created by the decoration. Don't overload your power outlets or extension cords.
>If you have a live tree that was cut down this year, water it daily and remove it from your home if it starts to wilt or turn brown.
>Close or block off heating vents under or near your tree when using a live tree to prolong the life of the tree.
>Remove excess packaging and wrapping paper from your home and dispose of it properly. These items serve as excess fuel for accidental fires.
>When using candles with real flames, extinguish the flames before leaving home or going to bed.
>Before starting a fire in a stove or fireplace, have your flue inspected by a certified chimney sweep.
>If you have out of town guests, pet sitters or house sitters, make sure they know the address of your home and how to get in touch with you should anything happen while you are away.
Fall and winter heating season is in full swing. If you use propane, natural gas, oil or wood to heat with, make sure you have a functional and in date Carbon Monoxide detector on every level of your building.
Have a plan for how you will get information, stay warm, eat and get water should the power go out.
Develop and emergency plan and have an emergency kit.

For more information about preparedness, visit Ready Orange.
For more information about wildfire safety, visit NFPA Preparing Homes for Wildfire
For the latest in weather, follow your favorite local news affiliate of the National Weather Service

If you want more information or have specific questions, contact the fire station.