Fire Safety in the country

If there is a fire in your home at Bonita, unlike in the burbs or city, the fire department can be 20-30 minutes away. So it really is your responsibility to keep your home safe and be able to extinguish fires yourself if you can.

It is not suggested here that you stay in a burning building. You and your family are not replaceable. But if you have a fire on the stove or something small that you can extinguish, it might save your house.

So, here are some suggestions that might help.

• Fire extinguishers in every room. And if you already have some, check the date on them as they are typically only good for nine years, even if the little indicator says it’s green.
  
• Use metal blinds or fireproof or flame-resistant window coverings. 
  
• Watch how many plugs you have in outlets, and try not to use extension cords.
  
• Have water hoses that are long enough to spray on your home from any side but from a distance. And have them connected, at least during the summer and handy in the winter.

So far we’ve had a couple of home fires at Bonita in the last decade or so, and all that is left is the foundations. Consider what could go wrong, and correct it, so it doesn’t become a problem.

And then around the house, ensure you have a good wide fire buffer. As much as we love our trees, a flaming one next to your house would be frightening.