Tips and information to prepare your home for wildfires from the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association):
There are a number of steps homeowners can take to prepare –
- Operate under a worst-case scenario. Assume firefighters cannot respond with personnel, vehicles, and water to protect your home. Keep in mind that your home safety upgrades are for when a wildfire is approaching, and you and your family have evacuated. Retrofits should be aimed at preventing the wildfire or surrounding structures from igniting your home.
- Minimize ignition to your home’s exterior with roof repairs or replacements, dual- or triple-paned windows, and screened vents and openings. Repair any cracks in shingles or siding and remove ignitable material from decks and patios during times of high wildfire danger.
- Address the area within 5 feet of your home’s perimeter and ensure there is nothing there that can burn—mulch, shrub, wood piles, wooden attachments, and so on.
- Keep large fuel packages like firewood piles or vehicles 30 feet or more from homes at times of high fire danger.
- Reduce the ignitability of your yard or acreage within 30 feet of your home and out to your property line by landscaping with fire in mind.
- Work with your neighbors to reduce ignitable elements on your shared boundaries and encourage them to work with their other neighbors.
The author of this content cannot be liable for any use or misuse of the contents. This is a guideline and is meant for information only.
