Chapter 21. Preparing for Wildfires and Vegetation Fires
Wildfires and vegetation fires can spread rapidly through dry grass, brush, trees, open space, and residential neighborhoods. Wind, low humidity, steep terrain, limited road access, and flying embers can cause conditions to change within minutes. Even a relatively small vegetation fire may threaten homes, create hazardous smoke, close roads, interrupt utilities, and require evacuation.
Residents of Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, San Ramon, Danville, Sunol, and surrounding Tri-Valley communities should prepare before fire danger becomes severe. Wildfire readiness includes reducing hazards around the home, knowing evacuation routes, maintaining a ready vehicle, preparing household members and pets, and leaving promptly when instructed.
Understand Your Wildfire Risk
A home does not need to be next to a forest to face wildfire danger. Grass fires can move quickly across hillsides and open land, while wind can carry burning embers well ahead of the main fire. Those embers may ignite roofs, decks, fences, vegetation, outdoor furniture, or debris near buildings.
Learn whether your home, workplace, school, or regular travel route is within or near a designated fire-hazard area. Identify nearby open spaces, narrow roads, dead-end streets, canyons, and other conditions that could affect evacuation.
Enroll in the emergency-alert systems used by your city and county. Do not rely entirely on seeing smoke, hearing sirens, receiving information from neighbors, or reading social-media posts. During an active incident, follow verified information from fire departments, law enforcement, emergency-management agencies, and official alert systems.
Create and Maintain Defensible Space
Defensible space is the maintained area between a building and surrounding vegetation or combustible materials. Its purpose is to reduce the intensity and movement of fire, limit opportunities for embers to ignite materials near the home, and provide firefighters with a safer working environment.
General defensible-space principles include:
- Removing dead plants, dry grass, leaves, pine needles, and fallen branches
- Clearing leaves and debris from roofs, gutters, decks, and exterior stairways
- Pruning branches that overhang or touch roofs
- Maintaining appropriate separation among trees, shrubs, and other vegetation
- Moving firewood and combustible materials away from structures
- Keeping vegetation from creating a continuous path to the home
- Removing combustible items from underneath decks
- Maintaining driveways and access routes for evacuation and emergency vehicles
California commonly describes defensible space in zones extending outward from a structure, with the area closest to the building requiring the greatest attention. Requirements can vary according to location, property conditions, applicable laws, and local ordinances. Consult the relevant fire authority before removing protected vegetation or undertaking major landscaping work.
Defensible space does not guarantee that a building will survive. It is one part of wildfire protection, together with home-hardening measures such as fire-resistant roofing, protected vents, maintained siding, enclosed eaves, and appropriate windows. CAL FIRE explains the purpose and principles of creating defensible space around a home.
Complete vegetation management during safe conditions. Do not operate equipment that could create sparks during prohibited periods or dangerous fire weather, and never begin last-minute trimming, mowing, or debris removal while a fire is approaching.
Prepare an Evacuation Plan
Identify at least two routes away from the neighborhood, recognizing that a preferred road may be blocked by fire, smoke, fallen trees, emergency equipment, or traffic. Select several possible destinations in different directions, such as the home of a friend, a hotel, or an official evacuation center.
Every household member should understand:
- How emergency warnings will be received
- Where go-bags are stored
- Who will help children, older adults, or people with disabilities
- Who will collect pets and their supplies
- Which vehicle will be used
- Where the household will reunite if separated
- Which out-of-area contact will receive updates
- How everyone will report that they arrived safely
Practice leaving the neighborhood using different routes. However, during an actual evacuation, follow official directions rather than automatically following a practiced route. Authorities may redirect traffic according to current fire behavior.
An evacuation warning generally means that a potential threat exists and residents should be ready to leave. People who need additional time, including those transporting pets, livestock, mobility equipment, or medical devices, should consider leaving during the warning when officials recommend it. An evacuation order means leave immediately. Do not wait to see flames or delay departure to protect property.
Keep Your Vehicle Ready
A vehicle that is low on fuel, poorly maintained, blocked inside a garage, or loaded with unnecessary belongings can delay evacuation.
During elevated fire conditions:
- Maintain adequate fuel or battery charge
- Keep keys readily accessible
- Park in a position that permits a practical departure
- Check tires, lights, brakes, and essential fluids
- Keep a paper map in the vehicle
- Store water, a phone charger, protective clothing, and a basic emergency kit
- Know how to open a garage door manually during a power outage
If an evacuation appears possible, load go-bags and essential equipment early without blocking exits or creating a tripping hazard. Do not leave a running vehicle inside a garage.
Ready.gov recommends maintaining at least half a tank of fuel under ordinary conditions and a full tank when evacuation appears likely. Review its evacuation and vehicle-readiness guidance.
Maintain Household Communications
Wildfire can interrupt electricity and overload telephone networks. Keep phones charged and maintain portable power banks. Text messages may sometimes connect when voice calls do not, but no communication method is guaranteed.
Choose one nearby contact and one out-of-area contact. After leaving, send a short message stating that you evacuated, who is with you, where you are going, and whether you arrived safely. If the destination changes, update both contacts.
Avoid spreading unverified reports about fire locations, road closures, or evacuation areas. Incorrect information can create confusion and direct people toward danger.
Leave Promptly and Safely
When authorities instruct you to evacuate, leave immediately. Wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and sturdy closed-toe shoes when time permits. Take your go-bag, medication, phone, identification, and pets, but do not delay to gather replaceable belongings.
Close vehicle windows, follow traffic controls, and drive carefully through smoke or congestion. Never stop to photograph the fire, fly a drone, cross barricades, or return to an evacuated neighborhood until authorities announce that reentry is permitted. CAL FIRE’s wildfire evacuation guide emphasizes following law-enforcement directions immediately.
Helpful Hint
During dangerous fire conditions, keep shoes, keys, charged phones, essential medication, pet supplies, and go-bags where they can be reached quickly. A few minutes spent searching for necessities can delay a safe departure.
Important Safety Reminder
Defensible space and home preparation should be completed before an emergency. They are never reasons to remain behind during an evacuation. If authorities order you to leave, depart promptly and follow official routes and instructions. Personal safety takes priority over landscaping, buildings, vehicles, and belongings.
Important Preparedness and Safety Notice
This chapter provides general preparedness education, not real-time emergency instructions. Conditions, evacuation zones, routes, shelters, road closures, and public-safety directions can change rapidly. During an emergency, consult current information from authorized public agencies and follow all instructions issued by emergency officials. Call 911 for an immediate threat to life, active fire, serious injury, crime in progress, or another urgent emergency.
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