Fire Prevention

No one wants to lose their home or their lives to fire. However, every year, especially during the dry season, fires destroy farms, forests, and homes. Living in rural areas means that fire departments have longer response times, must carry their own water, must traverse difficult terrain and sometimes cannot get their equipment close enough to effectively fight a fire. Heeding the law and a little common sense will go a long way toward protecting your home and farm from fire.

Thurston County has a permanent burn ban. This means all outdoor burning without a permit is banned. Permits can be acquired through either the DNR or the Black Lake Fire Dept.  The permit will have certain limitations in order to protect life, property, and air quality. At times of high fire danger, no permits will be issued, and anyone caught illegally burning will be fined. An escaped fire can be very costly, not only in the destruction of lives and homes, but also in that if the fire is an illegal one, the one who started it can be fined as well as expected to pay for the costs in fighting it. It is illegal to burn garbage at any time.

Fire Prevention Tips

Call your local fire department for information on how you can fire proof your home and
farm. Here are a few basic tips:

• Make sure you have a ‘defensible area’ around your home and buildings. This is
  an area of little or no vegetation to support large flames.
• Don’t store flammable substances in your home or garage.
• Clothes dryers are a common cause of fires. Keep the lint filters and vent piping clean and free of lint buildup.
• Keep fire extinguishers in high-risk areas, like kitchens, near fireplaces and
  woodstoves. Familiarize yourself with how to operate them.
• Don’t leave burning candles or portable heaters unattended, or use gas stoves
  as a heat source. Keep the areas around them free of flammable items.
• Wood stoves and chimneys must be certified, properly installed and cleaned
  regularly.
• Install smoke detectors outside every bedroom and on every floor of your home.
  Test them and replace the batteries (if applicable) regularly.
• Keep matches and lighters away from children. Establish a fire evacuation plan
  and train your family how to escape a fire. Designate a specific area on your
  property where all family members must meet after escaping a fire, so that you
  can account for everybody’s whereabouts.

Fire!

In case of fire—Dial 911!