Home & Garden Special Section,
More wildfires are coming. Are you ready?
Thousands of wildfires strike California every year. It’s not a matter of if your home is at risk, but when. These and other instructions for creating defensible space around your home are from CAL FIRE’S website ReadyForWildfire.org.
Know the law
One hundred feet of defensible space is required under the public resources code (PRC) 4291. California Building Code Chapter 7A requires certain construction materials and methods for homes in wildland areas. Be sure to contract your local fire department for additional requirements to ensure your home is compliant with the law.
Hardening your home
Flying embers can destroy homes up to a mile ahead of a wildfire. Prepare (harden) your home now before fire starts. Some things you can do include:
Roof: Your roof is the most vulnerable part of your home. Homes with wood or shingle roofs are at high risk of being destroyed during a wildfire. Build your roof or reroof with materials such as composition, metal or tile. Block any spaces to prevent embers from entering and starting a fire.
Vents: Vents on homes create openings for flying embers. Cover all vent openings with 1/8-inch to ¼-inch metal mesh. Do not use fiberglass or plastic mesh because they can melt and burn. Protect vents in eaves or cornices with baffles to block embers. (Mesh is not enough.)
Eaves and soffits: Protect with ignition-resistant or non-combustible materials.
Windows: Heat from a wildfire can cause windows to break even before the home ignites. This allows burning embers to enter and start fires inside. Single- paned and large windows are particularly at risk. Install dual-paned windows with one pane of tempered glass. Consider limiting the size and number of windows that face large areas of vegetation.
Decks: Surfaces within 10 feet of the building should be built with ignition- resistant, non- combustible, or other approved materials. Remove all combustible items from underneath your deck.
Exterior walls: Wood products such as boards, panels or shingles are common siding materials. However, they are combustible and not good choices for fire-prone areas. Build or remodel your walls with ignition-resistant building materials, such as stucco, fiber or cement siding, fire-retardant-treated wood, or other approved materials. Be sure
to extend materials from the foundation to the roof.
Rain gutters: Screen or enclose rain gutters to prevent accumulation of plant debris.
Patio cover: Use the same ignition-resistant materials for patio covers as a roof.
Fences: Consider using ignition-resistant or noncombustible fence materials to protect your home during a wildfire.
Defensible space
The spacing between grass, shrubs, and trees is crucial to reduce the spread of wildfire. The spacing needed is determined by the type and size of the shrubs and trees, as well as the slope of the land. For example, a property on a steep slope with larger plant life will require greater spacing between trees and shrubs than a level property that has small, sparse vegetation.
Remove all tree branches at least 6 feet from the ground. If shrubs are under trees, additional vertical space is needed. Lack of vertical space can allow a fire tomove fromthe ground to the shrubs to the treetops like a ladder.
Fire-safe landscaping
Fire- safe landscaping isn’t necessarily the same thing as a well-maintained yard. Fire-safe landscaping uses fire-resistant plants that are strategically planted to resist the spread of fire to your home.
The good news is that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to make your landscape fire- safe. And fire- safe landscaping can increase your property value and conserve water while beautifying your home. For more information on fire-safe landscaping, visit: ReadyForWildfire.org/landscaping.
Creating and maintaining defensible space is essential for increasing your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire. It’s the buffer that homeowners are required to create on their property between a structure and the plants, brush and trees or other items surrounding the structure that could catch fire. This space is needed to slow the spread of wildfire and improves the safety of firefighters defending your home.