What you can do to help your home survive a wildfire...

 

Design and landscape your home with wildfire safety in mind. Select materials and plants that can help contain fire rather than fuel it. Use fire-resistant or noncombustible materials on the roof and exterior structure of the dwelling, or treat wood or combustible material used in roofs, siding, decking, or trim with fire-retardant chemicals evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Plant fire-resistant shrubs and trees. For example, hardwood trees are less flammable than pine, evergreen, eucalyptus or fir trees.

Create a 30- to 100-foot safety zone around your home

Within this area, you can take steps to reduce potential exposure to flames and radiant heat. Homes built in pine forests should have a minimum safety zone of 100 feet. If your home sits on a steep slope, standard protective measures may not suffice. Contact your local fire department or forestry office for additional information.

- Rake leaves, dead limbs and twigs. Clear all flammable vegetation.

- Remove leaves and rubbish from under structures.

- Thin a 15-foot space between tree crowns, and remove limbs within 15 feet of the ground.

- Remove dead branches that extend over the roof.

- Prune tree branches and shrubs within 15 feet of a stovepipe or chimney outlet.

- Ask the power company to clear branches from powerlines.

- Remove vines from the walls of the home.

- Mow grass regularly.

- Clear a 10-foot area around propane tanks and the barbecue. Place a screen over the grill – use nonflammable material with mesh no coarser than one-quarter inch.

- Regularly dispose of newspapers and rubbish at an approved site. Follow local burning regulations.

- Place stove, fireplace and grill ashes in a metal bucket, soak in water for 2 days; then bury the cold ashes in mineral soil.

- Store gasoline, oily rags and other flammable materials in approved safety cans. Place cans in a safe location away from the base of buildings.

- Stack firewood at least 100 feet away and uphill from your home. Clear combustible material within 20 feet. Use only wood-burning devices evaluated by a nationallyrecognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).

- Review your homeowner's insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home's contents.

Protect your home

- Regularly clean roof and gutters.

- Inspect chimneys at least twice a year. Clean them at least once a year. Keep the dampers in good working order. Equip chimneys and stovepipes with a spark arrester that meets the requirements of National Fire Protection Association Standard 211. (Contact your local fire department for exact specifications.)

- Use 1/8-inch mesh screen beneath porches, decks, floor areas, and the home itself. Also, screen openings to floors, roof and attic.

- Install a dual-sensor smoke alarm on each level of your home, especially near bedrooms; test monthly and change the batteries at least once each year.

- Teach each family member how to use a fire extinguisher (ABC type) and show them where it's kept.

- Keep handy household items that can be used as fire tools: a rake, axe, handsaw or chain saw, bucket and shovel.

- Keep a ladder that will reach the roof.

-Consider installing protective shutters or heavy fire-resistant drapes.

 

For more information on how you can protect your home from wildfire, visit firesafesonoma or download the California Defensible Space Guideline here.