In the case of a wildfire evacuation, it is often recommended that you leave your home's water hose on. This keeps your home's exterior from flashing over if a wildfire approaches your property. From a firefighter.

Follow your local jurisdiction's recommended evacuation procedure first, as this is not consistent everywhere. Our county asks us to leave our home's water hose on when we evacuate for a wildfire. As a volunteer firefighter in a woodsy county in the US, I have used a water hose to save a home from a wildfire. If your home catches on fire from the heat of a wildfire, you may be able to extinguish the exterior of your home with your water hose. This can give you, a family member/friend, or a firefighter a chance to save your home. I've seen it happen.<br><br><br>Edit: To answer some common questions I've gotten, this only applies to homes that may be in the direct path of a wildfire. From what I've heard, it's mostly a west coast thing. Our county is telling everyone to evacuate because we can't guarantee that our department will be able to respond to a structure fire with a wildfire raging. This tip is more relevant to homes that are on their own acreage. Even though this may not be applicable to everyone, I hope this helps!<br><br>Edit2: There have been some questions about leaving the water hose on when the water is shut off. This tip may only be relevant for people that have their own well. If you're connected to a municipal water source, this may not be applicable. People have asked what the risk of leaving a water hose on is. From what I know, the worst that could happen is a burst water hose and a damaged foundation/slab. It all depends on how your hose is set up.