Ways to prepare your home if wildfire strikes

Central Coast fire teams were called on for help with the Curie Fire in San Jose Tuesday.

That includes teams from the Monterey Fire Department.

A five engine strike team helped join the fight in Santa Clara County, something the Monterey chief says they’re always ready to do. He also says it’s important we do what we can to prepare for fires here as well.

“Things have changed in California,” Chief Gaudenz Panholzer said,”It’s now wildland fire season 365 days a year.”

That’s why he says Central Coast residents need to be ready all the time.

“Develop a plan – what will we do, when, should we have to evacuate. Know how to leave your home multiple ways,” Panholzer said, “Put together an emergency kit that has basic supplies, flashlights, water.”

It’s not just getting the people in your household ready –

“Make sure you have a plan for your pets,” Panholzer says, “If you have large pets you need to make arrangements ahead of time. For smaller pets, when there’s fire burning in the area, keep them in the house and keep them ready to go, if you you’re not going to be home, make sure you have a neighbor or somebody else who will likely be home.”

Another piece of advice the chief has for homeowners – don’t hesitate to leave when it’s time and leave the fighting to the experts.

“When it’s time to go, go. Do not turn on yard sprinklers or try to wet down your roof, that won’t last very long, and if everybody in the neighborhood is trying to do that then we don’t have any water pressure left to get water out of the system that we need to for fighting the fire,” Panholzer said, “Your yard sprinklers aren’t going to beat a wildland fire.”

You can find more tips and other important reminders at readyforwildfire.org