MEMBER RESOURCES

Start here to educate yourself on how to prepare when there’s a wildfire:

•  When Wildfires Threaten

If the flames come to Yountville, your life may well depend on making correct decisions, most of them related to when and how you will evacuate. Prepare a Family Emergency Plan and be prepared to put your plan into action. Make your own Pre-Packed Evacuation Kit or purchase a Pre-assembled kit.

Stay calm and don’t panic – do not call 911 unless you have a life threatening emergency.

If fire is in your vicinity:

• Tune your radio to local media for further information
• If ordered to evacuate, do so at once
• Assemble the items on your Grab and Go Checklist.
• Alert neighbors to the danger (see our Yountville Neighbor Network page for more on information on how to help)

Do your part to help with fire prevention in your home:

• Make sure you have functioning smoke detectors
• Keep multi-purpose fire extinguishers (2-A:10-B:C Rated) handy
• Keep flammable items away from wall and floor heaters
• Take care with space heaters and candles

The Napa County Fire Department at Yountville understands the challenge residents have in maintaining defensible space around their homes. With this in mind, they will assist you in identifying hazards specific to your residence by performing Hazard Assessments upon request. Contact them at (707) 963-4112. Visit the Napa County Fire Department page for more information.

For further information on how to protect yourself against Fires, visit the Wildfires section at ready.gov.

Ready Napa County

Emergency Preparedness

Although it can be daunting to shop for insurance, especially now that many companies are no longer insuring the Napa Valley area, there is always an option with the California Fair Plan for fire coverage. This is available as a last resort option and easy to obtain. You will need to work with an agent who partners with the Fair Plan, which Farmers Insurance and many other companies can do for you. Farmers Insurance advises exhausting all insurance companies before venturing this route, as the Fair Plan can be expensive and doesn’t provide certain coverages a full homeowners policy offers. The application process can take a bit, so it’s important to start early.

Before every fire season, make sure to  take the time to connect with your insurance agent to make sure you are prepared to face another fire season. Evacuations are more common than not these days, so it’s important to know how to prepare in the event you need to leave your home.

Here are some key items to prepare to take:

–Keep an emergency bag packed with medications, important documentation, an extra set of car/home keys, credit card/checkbook, identification, and clothing.

–Keep an emergency bag for your pets, and don’t forget to take them with you if you can! Food, water, medications, etc.

–It’s always good to map out evacuation routes ahead of time, especially if you are in a rural area.

–Make sure you have your keys readily available, pair of shoes next to the bed, and a flashlight in case of a power outage so you can leave quickly if needed.

–Keep enough fuel in your vehicle for traveling.

For more information on Farmers Insurance Fire Coverage, click here. 

Don’t wait until it is too late! Prepare for a wildfire now.

Take a look at this short video to learn what defensible space is for unincorporated areas of the County of Napa and Town of Yountville.

DEFENSIBLE SPACE INFORMATION FROM CALFIRE

Keep your property lean and green to help protect your family and home.

Defensible space, coupled with home hardening, is essential to improve your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire. Defensible space is the buffer you create between a building on your property and the grass, trees, shrubs, or any wildland area that surround it. This space is needed to slow or stop the spread of wildfire and it helps protect your home from catching fire—either from embers, direct flame contact or radiant heat. Proper defensible space also provides firefighters a safe area to work in, to defend your home.

Defensible Space Zones

Zones 1 and 2 currently make up the 100 feet of defensible space required by law. Assembly Bill 3074, passed into law in 2020, requires a third zone for defensible space. This law requires the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to develop the regulation for a new ember-resistant zone (Zone 0) within 0 to 5 feet of the home by January 1, 2023. The intensity of wildfire fuel management varies within the 100-foot perimeter of the home, with more intense fuels’ reduction occurring closer to your home. Start at the home and work your way out to 100 feet or to your property line, whichever is closer.

Zone 0 – Ember-Resistant Zone

Zone 0 extends 5 feet from buildings, structures, decks, etc.

The ember-resistant zone is currently not required by law, but science has proven it to be the most important of all the defensible space zones.  This zone includes the area under and around all attached decks, and requires the most stringent wildfire fuel reduction.  The ember-resistant zone is designed to keep fire or embers from igniting materials that can spread the fire to your home.  The following provides guidance for this zone, which may change based on the regulation developed by the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection.

• Use hardscape like gravel, pavers, concrete and other noncombustible mulch materials. No combustible bark or mulch

• Remove all dead and dying weeds, grass, plants, shrubs, trees, branches and vegetative debris (leaves, needles, cones, bark, etc.); Check your roofs, gutters, decks, porches, stairways, etc.

• Remove all branches within 10 feet of any chimney or stovepipe outlet

• Limit plants in this area to low growing, nonwoody, properly watered and maintained plants

• Limit combustible items (outdoor furniture, planters, etc.) on top of decks

• Relocate firewood and lumber to Zone 2

• Replace combustible fencing, gates, and arbors attach to the home with noncombustible alternatives

• Consider relocating garbage and recycling containers outside this zone

• Consider relocating boats, RVs, vehicles and other combustible items outside this zone

Zone 1 – Lean, Clean and Green Zone

Zone 1 extends 30 feet from buildings, structures, decks, etc. or to your property line, whichever is closer.

• Remove all dead plants, grass and weeds (vegetation).

• Remove dead or dry leaves and pine needles from your yard, roof and rain gutters.

• Remove branches that hang over your roof and keep dead branches 10 feet away from your chimney.

• Trim trees regularly to keep branches a minimum of 10 feet from other trees.

• Relocate wood piles to Zone 2.

• Remove or prune flammable plants and shrubs near windows.

• Remove vegetation and items that could catch fire from around and under decks, balconies and stairs.

• Create a separation between trees, shrubs and items that could catch fire, such as patio furniture, wood piles, swing sets, etc.

Zone 2 – Reduce Fuel Zone

Zone 2 extends from 30 feet to 100 feet out from buildings, structures, decks, etc. or to your property line, whichever is closer.

• Cut or mow annual grass down to a maximum height of 4 inches.

• Create horizontal space between shrubs and trees. (See diagram)

• Create vertical space between grass, shrubs and trees. (See diagram)

• Remove fallen leaves, needles, twigs, bark, cones, and small branches. However, they may be permitted to a depth of 3 inches.

• All exposed wood piles must have a minimum of 10 feet of clearance, down to bare mineral soil, in all directions.

Zone 1 and 2

• “Outbuildings” and Liquid Propane Gas (LPG) storage tanks shall have 10 feet of clearance to bare mineral soil and no flammable vegetation for an additional 10 feet around their exterior.

Local Ordinance

Many local government agencies have local ordinances for defensible space or weed abatement. These local ordinances will often be more stringent than the State’s minimum requirements listed above (e.g., San Diego County requires 50 feet of clearance in Zone 1). Check with your local fire department or fire protection district for any additional defensible space or weed abatement ordinance requirements.

Plant and Tree Spacing

The spacing between grass, shrubs, and trees is crucial to reduce the spread of wildfires. The spacing needed is determined by the type and size of brush and trees, as well as the slope of the land. For example, a property on a steep slope with larger vegetation requires greater spacing between trees and shrubs than a level property that has small, sparse vegetation.

Vertical Spacing

Remove all tree branches at least 6 feet from the ground.

Allow extra vertical space between shrubs and trees. Lack of vertical space can allow a fire to move from the ground to the brush to the treetops like a ladder. This leads to more intense fire closer to your home.

To determine the proper vertical spacing between shrubs and the lowest branches of trees, use the formula below.

Example: A five-foot shrub is growing near a tree. 3×5 = 15 feet of clearance needed between the top of the shrub and the lowest tree branch.

Horizontal Spacing

Horizontal spacing depends on the slope of the land and the height of the shrubs or trees. Check the chart below to determine spacing distance.

Fire Wise Landscaping

Proper landscaping for wildfire isn’t necessarily the same thing as a well-maintained yard. This type of landscaping focuses on plant characteristics, properties and maintenance to resist the spread of fire to your home.

The good news is that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to make your landscape wildfire resilient and reduce the risk to your home. Through proper planning and routine maintenance, you can conserve water and create a beautiful landscape.

ASSEMBLE AN EMERGENCY SUPPLY KIT

Put together your emergency supply kit long before a wildfire or other disaster occurs and keep it easily accessible so you can take it with you when you have to evacuate. Plan to be away from your home for an extended period of time. Each person should have a readily accessible emergency supply kit. Backpacks work great for storing these items (except food and water) and are quick to grab. Storing food and water in a tub or chest on wheels will make it easier to transport. Keep it light enough to be able to lift it into your car. Ensure you plan with COVID-19 in mind.

Emergency Supply Kit Checklist:

• Face masks or coverings
• Three-day supply of non-perishable food and three gallons of water per person
• Map marked with at least two evacuation routes
• Prescriptions or special medications
• Change of clothing
• Extra eyeglasses or contact lenses
• An extra set of car keys, credit cards, cash or traveler’s checks
• First aid kit
• Flashlight
• Battery-powered radio and extra batteries
• Sanitation supplies
• Copies of important documents (birth certificates, passports, etc.)
• Don’t forget pet food and water!

Items to take if time allows:

• Easily carried valuables
• Family photos and other irreplaceable items
• Personal computer information on hard drives and disks
• Chargers for cell phones, laptops, etc.

Always keep a sturdy pair of shoes and a flashlight near your bed and handy in case of a sudden evacuation at night.

Via https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/get-set/emergency-supply-kit/

Make sure you are prepared for wildfire incidents and are staying up to date on wildfires with the CalFire Wildfire App

https://plan.readyforwildfire.org/

During a State of Emergency or federal disaster declaration, there are additional resources and services that may available to those affected by wildfires. Wildfire survivors are also encouraged to check with their county.

• Debris Removal
  • Debris Removal Info & FAQs
  • Eligibility Chart
  • Fraud Protection
  • Right-of-Entry Forms
  • Wildfire Cleanup Update

• Financial Assistance
  • FEMA Disaster Assistance
  • Social Security
  • Tax Assistance

• Housing
  • Housing Assistance
  • Housing Resources and FAQs
  • Rebuilding
  • Resources for Local Government

• Services
  • Access and Functional Needs
  • Aging Services
  • Air Monitoring
  • Employment Assistance
  • Essential Services
  • Food and Agriculture
  • Health Information
  • Legal Assistance
  • Record Replacement
  • Schools and Education
  • Transportation
  • Veterans Assistance

• Volunteer and Donate
  • Volunteer & Donate

Click here for full resources on what to do if you need to rebuild after a wildfire