Wildfires

May is National Wildfire awareness month. A wildfire is an unplanned fire that burns in natural areas like forests, grasslands, or prairies. As many as 90 percent of wildfires in the United States are caused be people, according to the U.S. Department of Interior. Some human-caused fires are a result of campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, downed power lines, negligently discarded cigarettes, and intentional acts of arson. The remaining 10 percent are started by lightning or lava. These dangerous fires spread quickly and can devastate not only wildlife and natural areas, but also communities.

Stay Safe During a Wildfire

• Pay attention to emergency alerts and notifications for information and instructions.
• Evacuate immediately if authorities tell you to do so.
• If trapped, call 911 and give your location, but be aware that emergency response could be delayed or impossible. Turn on lights to help rescuers find you.
• Use an N95 mask to protect yourself from smoke inhalation or limit your exposure to smoke by doing the following:
  • Choose a room to close off from outside air and set up a portable air cleaner or filter to keep the air in this room clean even when it’s smoky in the rest of the building and outdoors.
  • Use high efficiency filters in your central air conditioning system to capture fine particles from smoke. If your system has fresh air intake, set the system to “recirculate” mode and close the outdoor intake damper.
  • If you are not ordered to evacuate but smoky conditions exist, stay inside in a safe location, or go to a community building where smoke levels are lower.
• If you are sick and need medical attention, contact your healthcare provider for further care instructions and shelter in place, if possible.

Returning Home After a Wildfire

• Do not return home until authorities say it is safe to do so.
• Avoid hot ash, charred trees, smoldering debris, and live embers. The ground may contain heat pockets that can burn you or spark another fire.
• When cleaning, wear protective clothing – including a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, work gloves and sturdy thick-soled shoes – during clean-up efforts.
• Use a respirator to limit your exposure, and wet debris to minimize breathing dust particles. People with asthma, COPD and/or other lung conditions should take precautions in areas with poor air quality, as it can worsen symptoms.
• Document property damage with photographs. Conduct an inventory and contact your insurance company for assistance.
• Send text messages or use social media to reach out to family and friends. Phone systems are often busy following a disaster. Make calls only in emergencies.

For more information on Wildfires visit: ready.gov/wildfires

Don’t Fry Day

National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention designated the Friday before Memorial Day as Don’t Fry Day. The Council’s goal is to encourage sun safety awareness by reminding everyone to protect their skin while enjoying the outdoors on Don’t Fry Day and every day.

For more information on Don’t Fry Day visit: epa.gov/sunsafety/dont-fry-day

Hurricanes

Hurricane preparedness week is May 1-7, 2022. Be ready for hurricane season, it begins on June 1^st and lasts through November 30^th. Determine your personal hurricane risk and find out if you live in a hurricane evacuation zone. Visit noaa.gov/hurricane-prep to determine your hurricane risk.

Know your Evacuation Zone

You may have to evacuate quickly due to a hurricane if you live in an evacuation zone. Follow the instructions from local emergency managers, who work closely with state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies. They will provide the latest recommendations based on the threat to your community and appropriate safety measures.

• Plan how you will leave and where you will go if you are advised to evacuate.
• Check with local officials about what shelter spaces are available for this year. Coronavirus may have altered your community’s plans.
• Identify several places you could go in an emergency such as a friend’s home in another town or a motel. Choose destinations in different directions so that you have options during an emergency.
• If needed, identify a place to stay that will accept pets. Most Public shelters allow only service animals.
• Be familiar with alternate routes and other means of transportation out of your area.
• Always follow the instructions of local officials and remember that your evacuation route may be on foot depending on the type of disaster.
• Come up with a family/household plan to stay in touch in case you become separated; have a meeting place and update it depending on the circumstance.
• If you do not have a car, plan how you will leave if needed. Decide with family, friends, or your local emergency management office to see what resources may be available.

For more information on Hurricanes visit: ready.gov/hurricanes

Have an idea, question, story, or feedback you’d like to share? Send an email to CrisisMgmt@intactinsurance.com

SafetyFIRST! is for internal use and informational purposes only. Questions may be directed to CrisisMgmt@intactinsurance.com