Wondering how to protect your Idaho home from wildfire? Check out this Teton Valley event.

U.S. Forest Service officials will hold a Teton Basin Community Wildfire Preparedness event on Saturday to encourage residents of the Teton Valley to ensure their homes and family are protected from and prepared for summer wildfires.

The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Teton Basin Ranger District office, 495 S. Main St. in Driggs, Idaho, according to a Forest Service press release.

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The event is a collaborative effort of local, state, and federal firefighting agencies, including Teton County Fire and Rescue, Teton County Emergency Management, The Nature Conservancy – Fire Learning Network, the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and other partners.

The event will help residents in wildfire-prone areas to prepare their homes and families for a wildfire by learning how to anticipate changing weather conditions, how to take precautions on dry, windy days and how to evacuate quickly when asked by emergency responders, the press release said.

“All residents in Teton County have some risk of wildfire,” said Teton Basin District Ranger Jay Pence in the press release. “Some may only need to mow back tall grass and remove leaves, while others may require thinning out brush and trees around their property.”

Attendees can learn more about the importance of wildfire preparedness and planning, defensible space and how to get a home ignition zone evaluation. Additional activities include a visit from Smokey Bear, wildland fire trucks and free hot dogs and hamburgers, while they last.

Here are some actions residents can take to reduce the risk of home and property becoming fuel for a wildfire:

• Clear needles, leaves and other debris from roofs, gutters, porches and decks.
• Remove all flammable outdoor items from decks and porches (cushions, door mats and portable propane tanks).
• Firewood piles can ignite from wildfire embers and then ignite your home. Keep piles at least 30 feet away from buildings.

For more information on how to reduce the wildfire threat, visit www.firewise.org, www.wildlandfirersg.org or contact Ryan Baum at Teton Basin Ranger District at 208-354-2312.