In Part 1, we emphasized the importance of creating fire-wise defensible spaces (zones) around your home. Equally crucial is incorporating fire safety during the design/build stages of your home and taking proactive measures to harden your home against wildfire threats.
Siting a Home
Siting a home is a key factor in wildfire defense, especially in the mountain west or other areas close to wildlands. Consider the following:
Avoid construction in high-risk areas:
- Avoiding a construction site along a gully or narrow canyon, adjacent to a saddle or steep slope.
- If choosing a ridgetop, that there is a minimum 50-foot setback from wildland vegetation on the downslope side and an increased setback on sites with heavier fuels as in a heavily forested environment.
- Orienting the narrowest wall toward the likely path of fire and the overall building based on wind & fuel consideration, so that debris (embers) is less likely to accumulate near the building’s walls and inside corners.
- Minimizing the number of windows on the side facing the path of likely fire to reduce radiant heat from blowing out windows or debris from breaking them.
- Providing a two way access to the home with turn around space for large fire fighting vehicles.
A home can be threatened by three major sources – Direct flame either by wildfire or a neighbors’ home, radiant heat typically from nearby burning objects and from flying embers, not to be underestimated as embers can ignite homes up to a mile away! Preparing your home (hardening) involves understanding these risks and taking proactive steps.
Hardening a Home
Hardening your home is essential in reducing wildfire risks and is best implemented during the design stage, though many of these strategies can be retrofitted to existing homes.
- Roofs & Chimneys: Use Class A-rated materials like clay, concrete tiles, metal, or asphalt shingles. Install non-flammable screens over openings (3/8 to 1/2 inch) to prevent ember entry.
- Attic Vents: If an unvented attic is not feasible, use ember and flame-resistant vents. Screen all vents with wire mesh no larger than 1/8 inch.
- Eaves & Soffits: Box in eaves or use noncombustible soffits like fiber cement or fire-treated wood. Consider using metal drip edges that extend into gutters to keep embers out.
- Siding & Cladding: Choose non-flammable siding materials such as fiber cement, stucco, stone, or brick. Ensure materials extend from the foundation to the roofline to eliminate gaps for ember entry.
- Doors & Windows: Use fire-rated, noncombustible exterior doors. If the door includes windows, ensure they are at least dual-pane with one pane of tempered glass.
- Decks: Construct decks with heavy timber or noncombustible materials. Maintain an ember-resistant zone below decks using screening if necessary.
Additional Fire Protection not building material related – can be crucial to the effective, fire smart home and can often be overlooked.
- Hose Bibs – An easy to execute plan is having accessible hose bibs on two or more sides of the house equipped with 100 feet of hose during fire risk months.
- Garages – Install weather stripping all around doors to keep out embers. Consider a power backup for garage door motor in case of power loss. Store firefighting tools and extinguisher in easy reach.
- Fencing – Use noncombustible materials in the first (5) feet of fencing and especially if attached to the house.
- Driveways & Access Roads – Plan for a driveway that accommodates two way traffic with emergency vehicle turnaround space. If gates are in the design, have them open inward toward property and be wide enough. As mentioned in Part I, always maintain tree and shrubs to 10 feet back on sides of the driveway and overhead.
- Cistern or Swimming Pool – If there are no natural bodies of water on the property (lake, river, pond), consider a cistern well or even pool for a (fire suppression) water source. Cold plunging in the summer
- Indoor Sprinkler System – This is an added expense, but it might be required by code in some building areas and or desired by the homeowner. In any case, this can be crucial protection.
- Automatic Gas Shutoff Valve – Is a good idea if a gas line is part of the plan. Consider an excess flow valve and/or earthquake-activated shutoff valve, especially if required by code.
- Smoke Detector and CO Monitors – Are an obvious need and requirement by code, but there are many levels of smoke detectors on the market. Make sure to keep fire extinguishers in multiple places especially with other structures – like garages and sheds.
As discussed in Part 1, maintaining and regularly updating your home’s defensible zones (from 1-5 feet, 5-30 feet, and beyond) is crucial. Continuously mitigate debris accumulation and consider planting fire-resistant ornamental plants where needed. Remember, while firefighters do their best, they may not always be able to protect every home during a wildfire. Proactively hardening your home is essential for safety and self-reliance.
While many of the key points above are great to implement at the design stages of building, many are easy to retrofit to any existing home and it is smart to do so. It is good to remember – emergency services & fire fighter crews can or will not always be able to protect our home – so prevention and self-reliance is crucial – just like Yogi Bear says, “Remember only You can prevent (Forest)Fires”.
Resources –
https://basc.pnnl.gov/information/design-wildfire-resistance
https://ucanr.edu/sites/fire/Preparedness/Building/ – has nice prioritizing photo of a home and what to prioritize for safety
https://readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/hardening-your-home/
