Tips On Preventing Wildfire Damage

While a house fire may be one of the most preventable disasters to happen to a home, a wildfire can be one of the least preventable on a small scale. Prevention of wildfires requires that a large number of people do what they can to make sure that the wildfires that do start are not manmade, but this awareness is only just now starting to catch on. When the fire is creeping toward your home, you are not likely to care what caused it, only what you can do to slow it down and in fact, there are a few different things that you can do to minimize the damage.

You may enjoy living in a more rural area, but you are at a disadvantage when it comes to wildfires because this is where they begin. One of the bad things about living in a rural area is that fire departments are not as prevalent, so the response to your home may not be as quick as you need it to be.

If you are contemplating having a home built for you, have it made of fire-resistant materials. Houses with an exterior made of brick, stone, or even metal will resist catching on fire much more than those that have exteriors made of wood or vinyl siding.

The most important exterior surface of your home is the roof. This is the largest surface area on the exterior of your home and it should be made of fire-resistant materials instead of the traditional wooden or oil-based shingles. Everyone knows that oil catches on fire very easily, so if you live in an area that is prone to wildfires, you may want to have another roofing material put on your home. Something else to do with your roof if a wildfire is nearby is to wet it down with the garden hose. This will give a little extra protection against the firebrands that are being carried in the air by the wind. Wetting the exterior walls of the house and wood decks is also a very good idea.

Do not allow any dead vegetation to build up in the yard. This includes grass cuttings, sticks, dead plants, and leaves. If a wildfire starts before you have a chance to get these dead organic materials cleaned up, all you can do is soak them and the rest of the yard with water via the hose and hope for the best.

Trees should also not be located close to the house, especially if the branches hang over the roof.

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How You Can Protect Your Home From Wildfires

If you live in a rural area that is prone to having wildfires, you might feel helpless to them when the season starts. There are things that you can do to protect your home, however, and they might not end up being as difficult as you think.

The protection starts with your lawn and the area surrounding your home. Fire has to get past this area before it gets to your house most of the time, unless the house catches on fire due to a spark floating on the wind, but more on that in a minute. Your lawn should stay cut regularly and not allowed to become dried up, since it will catch on fire much easier when it is dry. Keep grass cuttings away from the house and if possible, try to carry them off somewhere away from residences. The same goes for dead leaves and branches. If these items do collect in your yard and you must evacuate, wet them down as much as possible and leave. This is all you can do, since you will probably not have time to collect them and take them away from the house.

Trees that are close to your home, especially those that have branches hanging over the roof, need to be cut down. It might take away your shade, but when a wildfire comes calling, the tree will probably be the first thing to go.

Try to keep the roof of your home wet when a fire is nearby because of the sparks of fire called firebrands that float on the wind. Changing the material your roof is made of can help with this problem, too, but if you cannot afford a new roof, keep it wet as much as possible.

The exterior that your home is made of can also offer some protection against fire, but only if it is fire resistant. Wooden or vinyl siding do not fit into this category, but stone, brick, and metal do. If you can afford to have the exterior of your home re-done, you should.

If you are forced to evacuate your home due to fires nearby, take as many of your valuables as you can with you and get out as quickly as you can. Even though you have done everything listed, a wildfire can still take your home and all of your belongings from you, not to mention your life.