However, in the high-heat months of the summer, there’s a particular fire risk to be aware of: wildfires.

People cause about 80% of all wildfires. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to protect your establishment from this fire threat, as well as to prevent starting a wildfire in the first place.

Preventing Fires

One of the best things you can do when it comes to preventing starting a wildfire is pay attention to the weather. During a drought or low-rain month, vegetation can become extremely flammable. In these situations, local authorities will often issue “burn bans” – times of legal restriction on outdoor burning. Always obey these warnings and check to make sure one isn’t in place before burning anything outside or having a campfire.

If there isn’t a burn ban in place and you have a campfire, always have it in an open location far away from any buildings or flammable items. Once it’s lit, stay with your fire at all times and make sure to douse it completely until cold to the touch when you’re done.

Another major fire risk of course is fireworks. Ideally, don’t use fireworks at all and leave these displays to the professionals. However, if you do choose to use fireworks, absolutely do not use them during a burn ban, and make sure you follow all firework safety protocol. Better yet – consider using safe alternatives, like glowsticks, instead.

Finally, believe it or not, vehicles can also start fires. To prevent fires, get your vehicle serviced regularly and avoid driving or parking on dry grass.

Protecting Your Home

Of course, even if you do everything within your power to prevent a fire, they do sometimes still happen. This is why it’s important to also do what you can to protect your home.

Summer is a time for yardwork. When cleaning up your lawn or trimming trees, never store the yard waste near your home, as this can create a fire hazard. Always store them far from your home, and ideally hire a company for proper removal of this type of waste.

Check your home to see if it’s built with fire-resistant materials, or use these materials when doing any improvements to your house. Make sure to keep a fire extinguisher and shovel in an accessible place, and consider keeping several fire extinguishers around your house in places where fires might happen, such as the garage and kitchen.

But one of the most important things you can do? Make sure your home has a working fire alarm system and practice a fire safety plan. Fire alarms should be tested at least once a month, with batteries replaced every year and units replaced at least every 10 years. Practice an escape plan with your family at least twice a year, and ideally once at night, so everyone knows what to do even if the fire alarms go off while sleeping.

Fire safety can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. At CertaSite, we can handle all the stress and work for you and your business, protecting your people and your property while keeping you totally in compliance.