Protecting Your Home from Wildfire

Step 2: Design and build firewise structures

1. Work with architects, contractors and fire officials to create a design that is both aesthetically pleasing and firewise.

Work with others to create a design that is both aesthetically pleasing and firewise. Whether you're building a new home or retrofitting an existing one, you can work with building contractors, your architect, and fire protection agencies to create a design that is both aesthetically pleasing and firewise. Here is what some of them have said....

An architect:
"Many people have bits and pieces of information that need to be brought together to produce sort of an umbrella of information that would be available to the design professions, and that's not just architects; that's planners and landscape architects."

A landscape architect:
"I think that many landscape architects, as well as other design professionals, are not aware of all the do's and don'ts of protecting structures and life within the urban/wildland interface."

A developer:
"The best thing is cooperation from the start. Try to work out the problem areas, identify them, and then work out solutions to those problems as soon as possible."

A planner:
"What we ask the developer to do is present a variety of opportunities that could be exploited through the project master plan that would be adopted through our process. The applicant comes back with those suggestions. He, of course, consults with the fire protection districts."

2. The number one cause of home losses in wildland fires is from untreated wood shake roofs.

Fire officials say that untreated wood shake roofs, which can catch wind-blown sparks, are the number one cause of home losses in wildland areas. So your roof should be made of noncombustible or fire resistant materials. Some jurisdictions may allow the use of factory-treated wood shakes, but you should check this with your local authorities.

You may think that roof sprinklers could prevent a wood shake roof from burning, but they often provide only a false sense of security. In the event of fire, you need large volumes of water to really make the roof safe, and water pressure is generally at its lowest during a fire. The electricity needed to pump the water may also fail during a fire crisis. Also, the high winds which often accompany wildland fires can divert the sprinkler spray from the roof.

3. Don't let sparks jump from your home to the wildland---or from a wildland fire to your home.

In designing your home, don't let sparks from inside jump to the wildland, and don't let sparks from a wildland fire get inside. Like the roof, exterior walls should be made of fire resistive materials from the ground to the roof line. It also helps immensely to keep flammable vegetation, wood piles, and debris away from the walls.

To ensure that you don't create your own spark hazard, screen your chimneys with noncombustible wire mesh screening. Also, cover your exterior attic and underfloor vents with wire mesh no larger than 1/2 inch to prevent sparks from being drawn in and catching your home on fire. Sparks can melt through plastic or nylon screening.

If you are building a new home, locate your undereave vents near the roof line rather than near the wall to prevent heat or flames from a wildfire becoming entrapped. For the same reason, the eaves themselves should be boxed or designed with minimal overhang.

You should also screen under your porch or any other areas below the ground line, again, to keep out sparks and flames.

Where windows are concerned, thick tempered safety glass is the safest choice, especially for picture windows and sliding glass doors. It may be possible to use double-pane glass instead, but you should contact your local fire officials to see what is appropriate.

If you are building a new home, minimize the size and number of windows on the side of the house that would likely be exposed to a fire, the downhill side, or both. Also, windows should not face trees or shrubs that are closer than 30 feet away.

On the outside, protect windows and sliding glass doors with nonflammable shutters, balconies, or decks. Fire resistant drapes add extra protection inside.

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