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Patricia Sarmiento: 4 Essential Wildfire Protection Tips
Lately, news of wildfires raging in western US states, such as California, Colorado, Washington, and Texas have filled the headlines. And in fact, at 9 million, the number of acres burned in 2015 is the most ever recorded. These fires have caused the deaths of several people, burned thousands of homes, and done hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.
As wildfire season continues, many are probably wondering what they can do to protect their homes and loved ones. And while it may seem like we are all completely defenseless against these devastating events, the good news is we aren’t. Here are a few steps you can take to help protect your home and your family from wildfires:
Create defensible space around your home. ReadyforWildfire.org advises you to create two zones of “defensible space” surrounding your home. These zones will help slow or prevent a fire from reaching your home. Zone 1 spans the area that is “30 feet out” from buildings and other structures. You’ll want to be sure to keep dead vegetation, branches, wood piles, etc. out of this area. Zone 2 surrounds Zone 1. In Zone 2, grass should be no longer than 4 inches high and trees and shrubs need to have vertical and horizontal spacing.
Assess vegetation for “ladder fuel.” Does grass, branches, or other vegetation reach the crowns of the trees near your home? If so, these tips on how to protect your home from a wildfire suggest that the trees have “ladder fuel” because that vegetation can ignite and then help the fire climb the height of the tree(s). If ladder fuel appears to be a problem, do some maintenance—mow the grass, trim branches, etc.—so that the trees in your yard can’t burn so easily.
Consider the structural ignitability of your home. Of course, certain building materials are more flammable than others. The Colorado State Forest Service advises that wood and shake shingles should be avoided. It recommends choosing “a fire-resistant roofing material that is rated class C or higher” and offers more helpful information via its manual, “FireWise Construction: Site Design & Building Materials.”
What to do if your home is destroyed in a fire. The sad reality is that wildfires consume acres upon acres of land and often that land features homes. If your home is lost in a fire, the stress and devastation of that experience may make it difficult to face the home buying process. This article on home buying helps simplify the process into eight workable steps—from analyzing what you can afford to making an offer to moving into your new home. Having a plan to follow, step by step, will help you get back on your feet quickly while avoiding rushing into any big decisions.
Wildfires are scary, devastating disasters. But we aren’t completely defenseless against them. By taking these steps, you can help protect your home from being lost in a fire.
Patricia Sarmiento loves swimming and running. She channels her love of fitness and wellness into blogging about health and health-related topics. She played sports in high school and college and continues to make living an active lifestyle a goal for her and her family. She lives with her husband, two children, and their shih tzu in Maryland.
Photo credit: skeeze, via Pixabay
(Source: pixabay.com)