Everyone should have a plan when preparing for an emergency, regardless what type of natural disaster may occur. In the event you need to evacuate your area, it is important to plan on what to take with you, where to go, and who you need to communicate with. But, as fires continue to burn near some of our properties and even more are in a potential evacuation area, we felt it was important to pass along some information as to how to prepare your building(s) in the event you need to evacuate the area. First and foremost, please follow all direction from your local fire marshal and/or police or sheriff department. Your safety and the safety of your residents is our top priority. Many of the following suggestions are based on how much time you have to prepare. The more time you have, the better prepared you may be. Some things, such as shutting of the gas at the meter may be the last thing you’ll want to do, as the gas company will have to be called out to turn them back on. So, in the event you need to evacuate your property, please adhere to the following guidelines:
- Gather up flammable objects from the building exterior and bring them inside (patio furniture, toys, door mats, trash cans, etc.)
- Move propane barbeques away from the building. Make sure all propane cylinders are nowhere near any structures. Although they’re prohibited by our lease agreement (and some municipalities), residents often try to sneak them onto their patios. So, be diligent in searching out these highly flammable cylinders, and move them as far away from the building as possible.
- You may want to water the landscaping directly next to your building to get vegetation wet, but when it’s time to evacuate, it’s important not leave sprinklers on or water running as it will lower critical water pressure that firefighters need to keep their hoses going.
- Seal your foundation vents. This will keep embers from getting under the buildings.
- Leave your exterior lights on so the building is visible through smoke or at night. Leaving on at least a few interior lights will help, too.
- Leave a ladder against the corner of a building so firefighters can access the roof. This is counterintuitive to our normal procedures, as we normally don’t want to leave ladders around where they can attract burglars, but in this case, it’s a tool that helps firefighters keep the structure from burning.
- Shut all windows and doors, both exterior and interior. Leave unlocked if possible, as firefighters may need to access the interior of the building. Keeping exterior doors and windows closed will keep embers from igniting items inside and causing the building to burn from the inside out. Keeping interior doors closed will help slow the spread of fire in the even the building is burning.
- Remove flammable window shades and curtains.
- Move flammable furniture to the center of the room away from windows and doors.
- Turn off air conditioning. This will help keep smoke from circulating throughout the residence.
- If there is a fence that attaches to the building, secure any gates in the open position. This will help cause a fire break, so flames won’t travel along a fence to the building.
- Cover dryer vents and wall mounted air openings with duct tape. This will help keep smoke from the interior of the building.
- Turn off gas valves at each gas appliance. Turn off the gas at the meter. Natural gas is highly flammable and greatly increases the spread of fire. Most gas valves can be shut off at the meter by a standard wrench, but they are designed so they will need to be turned back on by the gas company. This is a safety feature, so the likelihood that gas is turned on prematurely is reduced. Because of this, make sure you don’t turn off the gas until you’ve been ordered to evacuate.
And, when returning to your property, please watch for downed power lines and other hazards, such as broken glass. Check all gas lines before having gas turned back on, although you can expect the technician from your local gas company to do the same. Make sure to check around the building in the event there are hidden embers or smoldering fires. Please use caution when evacuating, it’s a stressful event, and staying calm and composed will help you and others remain safe. As I said at the beginning of this email, your safety and the safety of your residents is our top priority. Thank you, and please let Scott Busch sbusch@cambridgeres.com know if you have any questions