Secure the perimeter

12/6/2021 (Permalink)

Once you’ve focused on protecting your roof and keeping embers at bay, you should start to consider the five feet surrounding your house. After all, something catching fire alongside a home can be as disastrous as a mattress burning within it. “From the fire’s point of view, if it’s attached to or touching the house, it’s part of the house,” Steinberg says. Firewood stacks and propane tanks are an obvious danger—the NFPA advises moving them at least 30 feet away from the house. If you have any materials from building projects lying against the house, move those away, too. 

Those tips may seem obvious, but homeowners often miss less conspicuous combustibles. “Anything organic is a fuel source,” Steinberg says. Mulch is a common culprit, as embers can easily set fire to the organic fertilizers that often line house-adjacent planting beds. The NFPA recommends replacing any organic mulch within five feet of your house with gravel or stone mulch products. Plants containing oils and resins, like juniper and pine, are also particularly dangerous. In general, make sure to regularly water and maintain any plant life near the house.

The NFPA recommends separating wood fences from the house with a masonry or metal barrier. After all, if wooden features attached to a home ignite, they will carry fire to the main structure. If you have a wooden deck, make sure to clear it of debris, and to regularly clean out any dead vegetation underneath.

https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/5-ways-protect-your-home-wildfires

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