A Red Flag Day Checklist For Your Yard

Construction and design get a lot of attention in wildfire resilience, and for good reason. But how you maintain your home, and how you respond when conditions turn dangerous, matter just as much. 

When the National Weather Service issues a Red Flag Warning, it’s an important signal that serious fire risk is rising in your area. When the alert goes out, a few simple steps can meaningfully improve the safety not just of your home, but of your whole neighborhood.

Here's what to do when a Red Flag Warning arrives.

What Is a Red Flag Warning?

A Red Flag Warning means that weather and environmental conditions are primed for wildfires to start easily and spread rapidly, either now or within 24 hours. A step above a Fire Weather Watch, Red Flag Warnings are location-specific and come from the NWS.

For Los Angeles and much of Southern California, a Red Flag Warning typically indicates the convergence of three factors: 

• Strong winds (sustaining at 25 mph or more, with gusts reaching from 40 to over 60 mph)

• Very dry air (relative humidity often 15% or below)

• Parched, flammable vegetation after long periods with little or no rain

Wind is the most dangerous element. Not only does wind make firefighting extremely difficult, but it also pushes flames forward rapidly and carries burning embers over long distances. Those embers are often what ignite a home after they land on a doormat, collect in a gutter, blow into your attic through a vent, or settle against a wood fence. 

In the LA region, Red Flag conditions are common from October through December, when the Santa Ana winds bring hot, dry weather. They can also occur during summer heat waves. It’s normal for Southern California to experience dozens of Red Flag days per year, especially in inland and canyon areas like Altadena. 

Your Red Flag Day Checklist 

Remember: Anything combustible that's situated close to the home becomes a liability when embers are flying. Red Flag Days require a walk-through of your outdoor space to check for elements that might ignite. Work your way out from the house—first Zone Zero, then your broader yard, then your parking area—and move anything that could catch a spark or secure objects that could catch fire, drift, and ignite a nearby structure.

Home and Zone Zero 

Zone Zero, the five-foot buffer area directly surrounding your home, is the innermost part of your defensible space and the most important place to protect against wind-blown embers. Zone Zero doesn’t stop being a consideration when construction ends. It requires active management, particularly on Red Flag Days.

When a warning is issued, remove dry leaves and needles from the roof and rain gutters and bring the following items inside or move them more than five feet away from your home:

• Potted plants and planters

• Outdoor cushions, pillows, and fabric furniture covers

• Doormats and outdoor rugs

• Decorative items like wicker baskets, lanterns with candles or paper, and cushioned metal furniture

• Plastic trash bins

Larger Yard and Outdoor Living Areas

Beyond Zone Zero, take these steps throughout your broader yard:

• Move combustible patio furniture inside or as far away from the home and other structures as possible, ideally 30+ feet away, if possible.

• Turn off the gas on propane tanks and grills, check their connections, and move them at least 10 feet from your home. 

• Turn off gas heaters and secure covers on hot tubs and pool equipment. Pool and hot tub water can be a valuable resource for first responders.

• Move trampolines away from your home and secure them if possible. In high winds, they can become projectiles. 

• Take down shade sails, pergola covers, and string lights.

• Move children's play equipment away from the home and clear combustibles (like potted plants) from around it.

Vehicles and Garage

• Park vehicles inside a garage if possible; embers can ignite cars left outside. 

• If no garage is available, try to park at least 30 feet from structures and away from dry vegetation. 

• Keep all doors and windows closed during a Red Flag event, including the garage door.

• Avoid parking on dry grass. 

Red Flag Day Preparedness for Construction Sites and Temporary Housing

During Red Flag conditions, any spark can become a wildfire. As a result, construction sites face elevated risk: Activities like grinding or welding generate sparks, and exposed lumber, packaging materials, and unfinished structures are highly vulnerable to wind-driven embers. Contractors should pause ignition-causing work, secure loose materials, and monitor emergency notifications closely.

Temporary residences like RVs and modular units are also at higher risk. They typically lack ember-resistant vents and noncombustible materials, and surrounding lots may have dry regrowth or debris that increases exposure. Clear combustibles, stay on top of alerts, and plan your evacuation route ahead of time.

Preparedness Is a Community Effort

If you've done the work to prepare your home and yard, consider sharing this checklist with a neighbor. Wildfire doesn't stop at property lines: Your preparedness protects your whole block, not just your home. When neighbors look out for one another on Red Flag Days—when they check in, clear their yards, and secure loose materials—the whole street becomes harder to burn.