The November 2018 wildfires that occurred throughout Malibu and Thousands Oaks burned down a total of 96,949 acres and 1,500 structures, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. During the Winter months, California experienced above-average rainfall and Los Angeles had one of the coldest Februarys in nearly 10 years. Now, as we transition into the dry Summer season, there is an abundance of new vegetation that is already drying out and could increase the threat of wildfires. In an attempt to prepare and protect our community from wildfires, we have outlined a guide listing various precautions to take in order to ensure the safety of your home and family.
Three Factors that Can Affect the Survival of Your Home:
1. Ornamental Vegetation
The Los Angeles County Fire Department has primarily focused on removing native vegetation during annual inspections, but it has become apparent that ornamental vegetation, or plants that are grown for decorative purposes, are producing embers and leading to structure fires. Vegetation that seems green and healthy on the outside, may have underlying dead or dying vegetation that can catch fire from flying embers. It’s important to create a ‘defensible space’ between your home and surrounding plants, brush, and trees that could catch fire. Proper maintenance of ornamental vegetation reduces ember production, fire propagation, intensity, and duration of the approaching flames.
2. Landscape Maintenance
Maintaining the landscape surrounding your home can decrease the chance of flames quickly igniting during a wildfire. Below is a checklist for landscape maintenance:
Vegetation Conditions:
- Trees touching/overhanging structure: Remove limbs within five feet of any structure, and within ten feet from any chimney outlet. Trim trees up to six feet or one third of their height.
- Vines and climbing plants: Remove from all structures.
- Hedges and screens between homes: Reduce and maintain to a height no greater than eight feet.
- Large shrubs under windows: Maintain 12-inch separation under windows.
- Ground cover: Maintain an 18-inch maximum height.
- Dead vegetations: Remove all dead material within 100 feet of structures.
Specific Plants to Maintain or Remove:
- Italian Cypress: Remove if center of trunk is within 10 feet of any structure.
- Junipers: Remove within 10 feet of any structure.
- Bougainvillea: Remove from all structures.
- Wisteria/TrumpetVines/Creeping Fig, etc.: Remove from all structures.
- Palms: Remove dead or dying fronds or consider removing unmaintained ones.
- Pines: Maintain all pines free of dead material.
3. Hardening Structures
Safeguarding, or hardening, your home depends on its construction materials and the quality of the ‘defensible space’ surrounding it. Flying embers can find any overlooked factor in your home which can lead to a quick fire overtake unless taken care of. Below is a checklist for hardening structures:
- Address: Make sure it’s visible to first responders from the road.
- Chimney: Cover your chimney and stovepipe with a non-flammable screen of 1/4 inch wire mesh or smaller to prevent embers from escaping.
- Deck/Patio Cover: Use heavy timber or non-flammable construction material for decks and patio covers and enclose the underside with fire-resistant materials to prevent items from igniting underneath.
- Driveways and Access Roads: Access roads should have a minimum of 10 foot clearance on either side and should allow two-way traffic for emergency vehicles.
- Garage: Have a fire extinguisher and tools (shovel, rake, bucket, hoe, etc.) available for fire emergencies.
- Home Site and Yard: Ensure you have at least a 100 foot radius of managed vegetation around your home including the neighbors home.
- Inside: Install smoke alarms on each level of your home and near bedrooms. Test them monthly and change the batteries twice a year.
- Roof: Build your roof or re-roof with fire-resistant materials that include composition, metal, or tile as your roof is the most vulnerable part of your home since it can easily catch fire from windblown embers.
- Walls: Build or remodel with fire-resistant building materials such as brick, cement, masonry, or stucco as boards, panels, or shingles are combustible.
- Water Supply: Have multiple garden hoses that are long enough to reach any area of your home and other structures on your property.
- Windows: Install dual-paned windows with an exterior pane of tempered glass to reduce the chance of breakage in a fire as heat from wildfires can cause windows to break before the home ignites, allowing burning embers to enter and internal fires to start.
Getting Prepared
There is no end to the amount of steps you can take to prepare your home for a wildfire. Although not all of these actions are necessary, practicing any of the above can greatly increase the chances that your family will be able to evacuate safely and your home will be able to survive.
If you’re looking for more information or would like some insight into maintaining your home for wildfires, contact our team!
Call 310.230.5771 or email russellandtony@compass.com
