FIRE PREVENTION
Felton Fire Protection District is actively engaged in fire prevention. The fire district staff reviews building and fire sprinkler plans, conducts bi-annual business inspections, has used the County Fire Chief's chipper to clean brush in neighborhoods and educates the children at San Lorenzo Elementary School each October during Fire Prevention Week.
On this page please find links to pages of helpful information regarding chimney fires, what to do after a fire, backyard burning information, earthquake preparedness and Urban Wildland Intermix Code.
HOME SAFETY
Exterior:
- Make certain that your address is visible and readable. Use a minimum 6” letter. Place the letters against a contrasting color. Light colored letters on a light background or vise versa, dark on dark will not be easy to read for emergency personnel who are trying to find your property. If you share a driveway with other properties or have a long driveway, place numbers on the street as well as on the house. Directional arrows, with the numbers, are helpful as well. Fire, sheriff and ambulance will be delayed if your property is not clearly addressed.
- Trim branches that overhang your house. Trim the branches back to at least 10 feet from your house. This is especially important near your chimney and heater vents. If you need to trim branches or remove trees near power lines, call PG&E prior to trimming. This will save you time and money in the event of a mishap.
- Clear your property of brush to 100' from the house or to the property line on all sides, whichever is closer. This does not include plants and bushes that make up the landscaping around your house. Brush fire spreads rapidly from the ground to the trees if there is an abundance of undergrowth. Clearing the brush will add value to property by providing a buffer of defensible space and will keep your property attractive and looking well maintained.
- Keep your roof and rain gutters clean. Leaves, needles and branches on a roof or in the rain gutters may catch an ember and start a roof fire.
Interior:
- Keep space heaters at least 3' away from combustibles
- Replace furnace filters twice a year
- Clean lint from behind clothes dryer
- Install a spark screen in front of the fire place
- Have the chimney inspected and cleaned annually, more often if used daily
- Install a spark arrester on the chimney
- Dispose of ashes in a metal container
- Avoid overloading electrical circuits
- Do not use extension cords on a permanent basis. Extension cords are not designed for continual usage. They will over heat, fail and cause a fire if used as permanent wiring.
- Replace the battery in your smoke detector every six months. Mark it on your calendar to remind yourself.
- Unattended or careless cooking is the number 1 cause of residential fires in the USA . Pay attention and finish your cooking. Turn off appliances when finished.
- Keep combustibles, like paper, away from your cook top and oven
- Do not BBQ indoors. Move your BBQ away from the house.
- Purchase a fire extinguisher and install it in a visible, easy to use location.
EDITH: Exit Drills In The Home
- Develop a home escape plan with two exits out of every room and a meeting place outside the home
- Conduct family fire drills at least twice a year
- Make sure all exits are clear and can open easily
- Teach your family to crawl low under smoke
- Teach your family how to dial 911
- Teach your family your address and directions with cross streets
- Learn and practice to STOP , DROP and ROLL if your clothes catch fire
- Train babysitters your EDITH escape plan
Using Fire Extinguishers:
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Stay calm!! If the fire is small, a fire extinguisher may be able to extinguish the fire.
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Quickly size up the situation. If it is safe to attempt using a fire extinguisher, Fight the Fire! If it is not safe, follow your exit plan and vacate the structure.
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Keep a fire extinguisher next to an exit door
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Use the PASS technique for operating the fire extinguisher
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P ull the pin or locking device
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A im low, at the base of the fire
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S queeze the handle
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S weep the agent slowly and evenly at the base of the fire
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Class of fire extinguisher
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Class A is for ordinary combustibles like paper, wood, clothing, rubber
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Class B is for flammable liquids like gasoline, oil, grease, and solvents
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Class C is for electrical wiring, fuses, and circuit breaker panels
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Class D is for combustible metals like magnesium and sodium
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Most fire extinguishers found at hardware and home stores are classed for A, B, & C fires. Ask a qualified person at the store or call a fire extinguisher company for the correct fire extinguisher for your situation.
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Fire extinguishers have a weight posted on them. The heavier the extinguisher, the more fire fighting agent inside. The size of the building or room and the use of the building/room will dictate what size extinguisher to have on hand.
Fire Code:
Felton Fire Protection District, along with the other fire districts in the County of Santa Cruz , has adopted the same fire code. The County Fire Chief's Association completed this in an attempt to provide uniformity throughout the County. The Fire Code adopted is the current State of California fire code, with modifications.
The first modification that is included in the Felton Fire Protection District fire code is a fire sprinkler ordinance for all new structures. Remodels that modify more than 75% of the structure are considered new construction and require fire sprinklers. Fire sprinklers have proved to be a life saving device. The fire sprinklers main goal is to provide the occupant(s) time to safely exit the structure. Often the fire sprinkler system will contain, if not extinguish, the fire. To date, no person has died, as a result of a fire, in a fire sprinkler protected building!
The other modification is the Urban Wildland Intermix Code (UWIC). New construction plans in Felton Fire Protection District must be submitted with a UWIC application. This application is available at the County of Santa Cruz Planning Office or at the fire station. The applicant must review their site and building plans and complete the form. Fire district staff will review the application and make a determination on what Ignition Resistant standard is appropriate for the project. There are three Ignition Resistant (IR) ratings, 1, 2 and 3. IR 1 is the most ignition resistive and IR 3 is the least.
Click Here for UWIC Instructions (.pdf form)
Click Here for A Copy of an Application (.doc Form)
Contact:
If you have a fire prevention question, please phone or write the fire district. See the home page for the fire district's address and phone numbers.
