Wild Fire Safety To Your Home

6/12/2019 (Permalink)

Research has determined that wild fires are natural phenomenon they may or may not not have been started naturally, but are useful to nature to renew the forest. However our homes are built in nature and we need to ensure that we are doing what we can to prevent the spread of wild fires to our living spaces. Most people think it’s the wall of fire that starts the house fire. But most of the time it is embers in the air that lands on combustible materials that causes a new fire to erupt.

We have talked before about the importance of keeping gutters cleaned for winter, but summer is equally important. Dry leaves on the roof are a perfect kindling to start a fire. So not only does keeping your gutters clean help prevent water damage it can help prevent fire damage.  Most roofing materials are Class A fire resistant which means they can be exposed to a fire for two hours before they start to burn. When replacing your roof be sure that the roofing material is rated class A.  There are three ratings and information regarding them can be found here.  

Siding like clap board or wood shingles can also be combustible but new construction should also be rated A, B or C. Consider replacing with a fiber cement siding. If replacing all of the old siding is not a cost effective option, consider the bottom 1/3^rd around your home. If embers hit the side of the house they will be less likely to ignite the siding that is noncombustible. Fiber cement siding can be stained to give the appearance of wood siding.

About your yard and flowerbeds, mulch is beautiful and a natural looking weed preventer. But it is also a combustible material especially when dry. Natural stone or brick chips are a perfect alternative. These types of materials should be what is next to your home and out to about five feet from it. 8-30 feet you can plant bushes and shrubs.  Be sure that trees that are clustered together are clear of dead clippings and kindling.  The thought is to reduce the intensity of a fire as it approaches your home and give you the best opportunity to have it run out of fuel to burn.

SERVPRO of West Forsyth County cares and hope you have a safe and happy summer!

IF you need our services call us directly at 336-946-1131