Protecting your Home or Business from Fire

7/26/2021 (Permalink)

Fire is an ever present worry.  There are some things you can do to mitigate the risk to your home or business.

• Dead vegetation, leaves, twigs, etc. should be removed from all outdoor areas and kept under control. Remove dead branches from trees, especially the lower branches.
• Keep roofs and gutters free of debris. This should include your home and any outbuildings.
• Clear and keep clear attic vents and window screens.
• Firewood should be kept at least 30 feet from your home.
• Roofing materials with a Class A (the highest) should be used.
• Install metal angle flashing on the edge of roofs.
• Exposed wooden rafters, while beautiful, should have boxed in eaves.
• If the home’s siding is combustible, any decking should have metal flashing installed where it meets the siding.

The 5 feet around your home is the most vulnerable so needs to be the most aggressively maintained.      

• Outdoor furniture in this area needs to be fire resistant, not combustible.
• Relocate all combustible materials.
• Remove tree limbs that extend into this zone, it is recommended that no vegetation be within five feet of any structure.
• Use only inorganic, non-combustible mulches.

The area from 5 feet to 30 feet should be kept “Lean, Clean and Green”

• Regularly trim trees to keep branches 10 feet from other trees.
• Keep dead branches 10 feet from chimney.
• Remove branches that hang over the roof.