Gannett News Service

Experts say that whether you live in an earthquake-prone state, or directly in the path of wildfires, you'll want to protect your property. Here are some tips:

• Contact your local fire department to evaluate your property and make suggestions on how to improve safety.
• Get property insurance for fire, lightning damage, windstorm or hail, explosions, smoke damage, vandalism, thefts, falling objects and other things.
• When you insure, it's wise to conduct a household inventory, usually a visual or written record of your possessions. Be sure to include less expensive items (like towels and clothes), items in the attic, basement, and garage, etc. Photograph the exterior of your home, cars, boats and recreational vehicles.
• Keep copies of receipts and canceled checks for more expensive items to show evidence of ownership.
• Homeowners should buy full replacement or replacement cost coverage, which will replace the structure up to the limits of the policy. It would be best to purchase a policy that covers the replacement cost of your possessions.
• To limit damage from winter storms, make sure roof gutters are cleared of debris and to prune tree branches that extend near the home.

Disaster planning officials also recommend preparing an evacuation box to grab in the event of an emergency. It should be large enough to carry:

• A small amount of traveler's checks or cash and a few rolls of quarters.
• Negatives for irreplaceable personal photos, protected in plastic sleeves.
• A list of emergency contacts that includes doctors, financial advisers, clergy, and reputable repair contractors.
• Copies of prescriptions for medicines and eyeglasses and copies of childrens immunization records.
• Health, dental, or prescription insurance cards or information.
• Copies of auto, flood, renter's or homeowner's insurance policies (or at least policy numbers) and a list of insurance company telephone numbers.
• Copies of the other important financial and family records (or at least a list of their locations). Include deeds, titles, wills, birth and marriage certificates, passports, etc.
• Backups of computerized financial records.
• A list of bank account, loan, credit card, drivers license, investment account (brokerage and mutual funds), and Social Security numbers.
• Safe-deposit box key.