By Lorie Lewis Ham
Summer is nearly here. In some areas of the country, it already feels like summer thanks to the high temperatures. If you haven’t had the chance already, now is the time to prepare yourself for the summer heat, and also for the summer wildfire season in some areas.
HGTV has several tips for getting your house ready for summer. One tip is to spruce up your front door by making sure the weather stripping is in place and by tightening hinges in case anything shifts due to the temperature change. It is also a good idea to give your windows a similar check to make certain they are ready to help keep the heat out, and perhaps give them a nice cleaning (the article includes some good window cleaning suggestions). They also recommend checking on the sprinklers, and cleaning out your gutters.
According to a recent article on Kiplinger, the Farmers’ Almanac’s summer 2025 forecast states that most regions in the United States can expect the hottest temperatures in recorded history. The article has several more suggestions on how to prepare for that heat, including an HVAC tune-up, making sure you have clean air filters in the AC, setting your ceiling fans to rotate counterclockwise, plugging air leaks, and aerating your lawn.
The American Red Cross has good tips on how to keep yourself and those you love safe from the summer heat. They include obvious ones such as never leaving kids or pets in a hot car, and making sure that you stay hydrated. It is also a good idea to avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine as they can dehydrate you. Other good tips are to wear loose fitting and light colored clothing, avoid strenuous activity and exercise during the hottest part of the day, and take frequent breaks when you have to work outdoors.
For those who don’t have or can’t afford to use air conditioning, many areas have cooling centers available during the day. A cooling center is an air-conditioned public or private space opened up to the public to temporarily provide relief from extreme hot weather conditions. They not only provide a cool place to be in while it’s hot, some even provide water. One common type of cooling center are public libraries. The National Center for Healthy Housing has links to cooling centers across the United States.
In many areas, especially California, summer also brings more wildfires. Cal Fire states that one crucial thing you can do for your home’s wildfire safety is to create defensible space. Defensible space is the buffer zone you create between your property and the surrounding wildland area. This space is key to slowing or stopping wildfire spread and protecting your home from embers, flames, or heat. It also provides firefighters with a safer area to defend your property. Defensible space is divided up into zones, and the intensity of vegetation management increases as you get closer to your home, with the goal of starting at your house and working outward up to 100 feet or to your property line. This includes fire-safe landscaping. Cal Fire also has a list to go through with defensible space and home gardening actions you can take to help protect your home. These include removing all combustible materials in a five feet area around your home, removing all dead or dying plant materials within 30 feet of all structures or to the property line, and store combustible outdoor furnishings.
Another good thing to check on as we come into summer, especially if you live in an area where wildfires are a concern, is your insurance coverage. Mennonite Insurance Services would be happy to answer any questions you might have in that area (559) 638-2327.
Here’s to a happy and safe summer!
