No one is immune from a wildfire. No matter where you live, you are a potential victim. If your default mentality is “That could never happen here” then you need to wake up. Wildfires happen in the lush, green hills of Hawaii as well as the crisp, dry plains of Texas. All it takes is a spark and something that will burn to turn “Won’t happen here” into “Oh no, it’s here!” Flat panic is not the best way to go forward. Instead, you need to be proactive about preparing your property for the possibility of a fire.

To do this, assess your risk level with a few key questions:

• How much risk is there on my property for a fire to spread?
• What direction is a wildfire likely to come from?
• Does my property have any landscape features that will burn easily?
• Are these features close to any outbuildings, sheds or my home?
• What can I do to protect my property now?
• How can I change things to lower my fire risk both around my house and on my land?

With these questions at the front of your mind, you’ll be set for taking real, meaningful action to fight off a wildfire and keep it from sweeping through and destroying everything you own.