Dear Friends,
The heart-breaking images of fires in LA have stirred up traumatic memories for many of us in Boulder County of the Marshall Fire and other fires dating back decades. While many homes in LA burned quickly to the ground, others remained standing, often by design. Though it seems every place in the world now has its own climate-related risks, whether flooding, wind, drought or fires, those of us who love Boulder and call it home may wonder what we can do to make our homes and community safer.
Here are 5 things you can do right now to 'harden' your home to fire.
1. Create a 5’ defensible perimeter of non-flammable items around your house. This perimeter is ideally rock with no plants and with metal flashing between the rocks and the siding. Regularly clean out gutters and clear up debris around the house.
2. Install fire-resistant roofs, siding and decking. Roofs made of metal, asphalt or tile with no gaps where embers can land and ignite. Siding that is concrete, composition, stucco, stone or metal. Decking that is rated class B or above, including composite boards and low-flame woods.
3. Cover chimneys and vents with fire-resistant mesh to prevent embers from entering your house.
4. Install double or triple-paned windows if you don’t already have them to protect from radiant heat.
5. Use non-combustible materials like metal to connect fences to your house.
For more detailed information on how you can harden your home or to get your home assessed and mitigated, check out the Wildfire Partners web site.
https://wildfirepartners.org
