PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR WILDFIRE AND INCREASE INSURABILITY

Leading Cause of home ignition

There are three ways your home can be exposed to wildfire: direct flames from a wildfire or burning neighboring home; radiant heat from nearby burning plants or structures; and flying embers. Flying embers from a wildfire can destroy homes up to a mile away and are responsible for the destruction of most homes during a wildfire. “It’s all about the embers and making sure they have nothing combustible to land on,” said Daniel Gorham, P.E., wildfire researcher at IBHS.

What is Defensible space?

Defensible space is the buffer you create between a building on your property and the grass, trees, shrubs, combustibles, and wildland area that surrounds it. This helps to reduce ember ignition and slow or stop the spread of a wildfire by protecting your home from direct flame contact or radiant heat and is divided into 3 zones:

(Zone 0) Ember-Resistant Zone: extends 5 feet from buildings, structures, decks, etc. Science and post-fire studies have proven this zone to be the most important and is designed to keep fire or embers from igniting materials that can spread fire to your home.

(Zone 1) Lean, Clean, and Green Zone: extends 30 feet from buildings or to your property line, whichever is closer.

(Zone 2) Reduce Fuel Zone: extends 30 feet to 100 feet out from buildings or to your property line, whichever is closer.

Simple Defensible Actions:

• Create Zone 0 Defensible Space around your home by removing leaves, pine needles, and combustible items or materials that could catch embers on roofs, gutters, decks, stairs and the first 5 feet around your home

• Remove any dead or dying vegetation, especially in Zones 0 and 1

• Remove shrubs, trees, and branches that are adjacent to or overhanging your home

• Create separation between live shrubs and trees by removing dense vegetation and tree limbs within 6 feet of the ground

• Keep lawns and grasses mowed to a height of four inches or less, especially once they dry out.

What is Home Hardening?

Hardening your home means taking steps to reduce the vulnerability of homes to embers and heat that accompany wildfires. Construction methods and choice of building materials greatly increase the resistance of homes to embers.

Easy Home Hardening opportunities:

• Replace all vents with 1/8” metal mesh to prevent embers from entering

• Clear and clean out exposed spaces under decks/porches/ stairs and enclose them.

• Do not use combustible bark or mulches within 5 feet of your home, use hardscaping like gravel instead

• Remove, relocate, or replace combustible items like woodpiles and patio furniture

• Consider replacing combustible wooden attachments with non-combustible products: fences that attach to structure, stairs, decks,..etc.

Coupled Approach – Defensible space & Home Hardening

Multiple factors determine a property’s wildfire risk. As a property owner, you can make changes to your landscape, and you can “harden” your home to resist ignition during wildfires. Some factors can’t be controlled - if your location and topography are higher risk, you may need to take greater measures to mitigate the hazards you do control. The goal with the coupled approach is to use both tactics to increase your homes chances of survival. Truckee Fire offers Free Assessments & Wildfire Prevention Assistance Programs learn more by going to: www.truckeefire.org/wildfireprevention

California Department of Insurance - Safer from Wildfires

CDI has created a partnership & 3-step process to help increase insurability and make your homes safer from wildfires: https://www.insurance.ca.gov/

1. Protecting the structure (Home Hardening)

2. Protect the immediate Surroundings (Defensible Space)

3. Working together as a community (Firewise USA Communities)

Wildfire Prepared Home – A program of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety

Wildfire Prepared Home™ is a voluntary, research-based mitigation program designed to meaningfully reduce wildfire risk backed by the insurance industry and a third-party verification process. Homeowners can now get to this home designation by going to: wildfireprepared.org

Thanks to Eric Horntvedt, Wildfire Prevention Manager of Truckee Fire Protection District for writing this article. You can contact Eric at 530.582.7888, erichorntvedt@truckeefire.org or www. truckeefire.org