It might come as a surprise, but the news today reported homes destroyed during a wildfire in...Texas. Yes, a destructive wildfire took seven homes in a state that isn't California, during a month where lots of places have snow on the ground, in a region where there are very few trees. In fact, the fire ignited and burned through grass and brush, and was every bit as effective at destroying homes as the fires in southern California are. The major difference, perhaps, is that there simply weren't very many homes in this West Texas community for the fire to burn.
The national Firewise program administered here at NFPA is working to help people understand the idea that homes are fuel for wildfires, and that many other things are also fuel that can carry fire to your house - brush and shrubs, dry grasses, dead leaves, even pine needles in the gutters. While wildfire may be inevitable in some conditions, losing a home is not. Check out www.firewise.org for the things you can do around your home and in your neighborhood to make homes safer and provide less fuel for a wildfire when it occurs.
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