In January of 2025, the world watched in horror and disbelief as fires ripped through Los Angeles and Southern California. Thousands of acres were burned. More than 12000 structures were lost including homes and businesses, according to NBC News.
Hundreds of billions of dollars worth of damage has been done. According to experts, cleanup will be a long and involved process and some things may never be as they once were.
Sadly, this is not the first time California has seen the destructive power of fires. The Butte Camp fire in 2019 burned over 150,000 and the Thomas fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties burned more than 280,000 acres. California sees these types of fires almost every season somewhere in the state.
You may be asking yourself what you can do to help prevent these types of situations and what you should do if you find yourself part of one.
How To Prevent Fires
Fire is a serious problem. This is especially true for areas that are drought-prone or have extended dry seasons. Fires are also particularly dangerous in densely populated areas because this allows them to spread quickly.
There are things you can do to help prevent fires. Here are some quick tips:
- Never leave lighters or matches in reach of children
- Always be sure to fully extinguish any fire you set using water. This includes everything from candles to campfires.
- Keep an eye on appliances. Do not let them fall out of disrepair or persist with electrical issues.
- Never throw a cigarette butt on the ground or out of an open window. Discard them properly.
For more information about how you can help prevent all types of fires, visit the government help site here.
How Security Guards Help After Fires
Dealing with a fire at your home or business is very traumatic. Once you are sure that everyone is safe, the process of cleaning up and rebuilding begins. Of course, it is not that simple. There will be a period when very little can be done.
Initially, there will be a time when you are waiting to be sure that all of the fire is completely extinguished. This is a time when a security guard can be very helpful. Many guards are trained in fire watch or fire patrol. This means they are very quick to notice anything that looks like it could be a flare-up from a wisp of smoke to the flash of an ember.
When you are allowed back onto or into the property, you will need to inspect the damage, In a few lucky cases, clean-up is minimal and things can run almost as normal fairly quickly. Many times, this is not the case.
Often, after a fire, the clean-up process is lengthy and followed by a rebuilding process. It is important to have security for your property at these times. It will be glaringly obvious that no one is occupying the space and there may be items of value, especially tools during this time that thieves will feel tempted by.
Additionally, an already damaged property seems to be a magnet for people wanting to do more damage. Whatever the reason, it is important to secure your property to keep this from happening and costing you even more time and money. Although local authorities will try to help, it is better to hire someone to be there around the clock.
It is always best to be prepared, but not every emergency can be avoided. If you need help securing your property during or after an emergency, call Allstate Security at 619-626-2517 or visit them online for a quote now.