How to Protect Your Home From Wildfires

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Now that we are in the midst of a particularly active bushfire season , it’s time to remember how to protect your home from these natural disasters. Of course, most of this is preparation that needs to be done well before a wildfire breaks out, but there are some steps you can take right before an evacuation (if you have time) to minimize damage to your home and property. Here’s what you need to know about last minute bushfire protection and long term protection.

Last minute preparation before evacuation

First of all, if you are ordered to immediately evacuate immediately evacuate . You want to protect your home, of course, but you shouldn’t endanger anyone’s life. But if you get a warning and have time to prepare your home before evacuating, here are a few things you can do to potentially minimize damage, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) .

Inside the house

  • Close all windows and doors, leaving them unlocked.
  • Remove flammable window shades, drapes and close metal shutters.
  • Remove light curtains.
  • Move flammable furniture to the center of the room, away from windows and doors.
  • Turn off the gas at the meter; turn off pilot lights.
  • Keep lights on so firefighters can see your home in smoky environments.
  • Turn off the air conditioner.

Outside home

  • Collect flammable items from outside your home and bring them inside (garden furniture, baby toys, door mats, trash cans, etc.) or place them in your pool.
  • Turn off propane cylinders.
  • Move propane barbecues away from buildings.
  • Connect garden hoses to outdoor water valves or firemen’s fittings. Fill the buckets with water and arrange them around the house.
  • Do not leave sprinklers on or running water as they can affect critical water pressure.
  • Keep outside lights on so firefighters can see your home in the smoke or darkness of the night.
  • Place your emergency kit in your vehicle.
  • Return your car to the driveway with the loaded car and closed windows and doors. Carry your car keys with you.
  • Prepare a ladder and place it in the corner of the house so firefighters can quickly get to your roof.
  • Cover attics and ground vents with pre-cut plywood or commercial seals.
  • Patrol your property and keep an eye on the fire situation. Don’t wait for an evacuation order if you feel threatened.

Long Term Ways To Protect Your Home From Bushfire

If you live in an area prone to wildfires, it is recommended that you take a few steps to ensure your home’s long-term protection. CAL FIRE divides this into three categories: maintaining a safe space, enhancing the fire resistance of your home, and using a fire resistant landscape.

Preservation of the protected space

Protective space is your home’s buffer against forest fires, specifically the space between the building on your property and the grass, trees, bushes, or other vegetation that surrounds it. Properly maintained, protected space can help slow or stop the spread of wildfires and protect your home from fires – be it direct contact with flames or radiant heat. CAL FIRE contains a detailed set of instructions for creating and maintaining a securable space.

For now, here are five free ways to create securable space , courtesy of CAL FIRE:

1. Regularly clean the roof, gutters, decks and base of the walls to avoid the accumulation of fallen leaves, needles and other flammable materials.

2. Make sure all combustible materials are removed from the bottom, top, or within five feet of the deck.

3. Remove vegetation or other combustible material that is within five feet of windows and glass doors.

4. Replace wood mulch within five feet of all structures with non-combustible products such as dirt, stone, or gravel.

5. Remove all dead or dying grass, plants, shrubs, trees, branches, leaves, weeds, and pine needles within 30 feet of all buildings or site boundaries.

Make your home more fire resistant

The technical term for this is “fortifying” your home, and whether you are building a new home in the area or retrofitting an existing one, you can make it more fire resistant. Whether you are building or remodeling your home, CAL FIRE has compiled a list of things you can do to make your home more secure . This includes the use of special construction and materials for parts of the home, including the roof, vents, eaves and ceilings, windows, walls, decks, gutters, patio covering, garage, chimney, and fences.

But not everyone has the time or resources to make significant renovations, so CAL FIRE also has lists of 10 inexpensive ways to make your home more fire resistant (although we should also point out that “low cost” is subjective):

1. When it’s time to replace the roof, replace it with Class A fire resistant roofing material.

2. Block off any gaps between the roof sheathing and the sheathing (bird stops).

3. Install non-flammable, corrosion-resistant metal gutter covers on the gutters to prevent leaves and debris from accumulating in the gutter.

4. Cover the flue and flue outlets with a non-combustible, corrosion-resistant metal mesh screen (spark arrestor) with 3/8 to 1/2 in. Openings. But do not use fiberglass or plastic mesh, as they may melt or burn.

5. Cover all vents with 1/16 to 1/8 in., Non-flammable, corrosion-resistant metal screens. But do not use fiberglass or plastic mesh, as they may melt or burn.

6. Plug and close gaps greater than 1/16 “around exposed rafters and floors to prevent coal ingress.

7. Inspect the exterior siding for dry rot, gaps, cracks and deformation. Plug or repair gaps greater than 1/16 “in siding and replace any damaged boards, including those with dry rot.

8. Install sealant in gaps larger than 1/16 “in your garage door to prevent charcoal ingress. Stripping must be in accordance with local regulations.

9. When it’s time to replace your windows, replace them with laminated windows with at least one tempered glass panel.

10. When it is time to replace your siding or flooring, use appropriate non-flammable, fire resistant, or other FDA approved materials if you live in California. (If not, check with your state’s regulations.)

Fire Resistant Landscaping

In addition to creating and maintaining a sheltered space on your property, you might also want to consider fireproof landscaping. Basically, this involves using fireproof plants that are strategically placed on your property to resist the spread of fire to your home. And while no plants are fire resistant, some will protect your home better than others. Here are some tips from CAL FIRE :

  • Create fireproof areas with stone walls, patios, decks, and driveways.
  • Use rocks, mulch, flower beds and gardens as cover for open spaces and as effective fire protection.
  • There are no “fire safe” factories. Choose plants with a high moisture content, that grow close to the ground, and have a low sap or resin content.
  • Choose fire-resistant plants that are fire-resistant, such as rock rose, ice plant, and aloe.
  • Choose refractory shrubs such as bush roses, bush honeysuckle, currants, cotoneaster, sumac, and bush apples.
  • Plant hardwoods, maple, poplar, and cherry trees that are less flammable than pine, fir, and other conifers.

Other examples of fire-resistant plants include French lavender, red monkey flower, California fuchsia, sage, California lilac, community garlic, ornamental strawberry, yellow ice plant, coreopsis, and California red bud.

While this preparation may not protect your home from all the damage caused by wildfires, it can at least help increase its chances of survival should this happen in your area.

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