Many California residents know that wildfires can occur at anytime. Wetter winters and dryer summers have stretched the wildfire season which cause hotter fires and impact more neighborhoods. Over 90% of California residents are at risk of a wildfire. Although the threat of wildfires is inevitable, there are ways homeowners and renters can prevent damage to their property.
When assessing your home, fire prevention agencies encourage residents to create safety zones. Safety zones are areas that can prevent your home from catching fire. Your first safety zone should focus on the radius that is 30 feet from your home. This area is for thinning vegetation as well as replacing flammable trees and bushes for plants that have slower growth. The second zone is about 130 feet from the home and should reduce all flammable vegetation.
Other items that homeowners can do to reduce their risk is make is remove combustible material from the permerator of their house, enclose overhangs, sundecks and porches, and add fire resistant material to the exterior of their home. Homeowners are also encouraged to work with neighbors. Most homes are 100 feet away from each other, so if a neighbor’s home catches fire, your house may be at risk of catching fire. Communities can come together to reduce the flammable material in their neighborhood and work to have an evacuation plan when a fire strikes.
As you prepare your house to mitigate your risk of wildfires, also make sure to come up with a plan if a wildfire damages your property. Be sure to connect with your insurance provider to understand your coverage options and the details of your claims process. Start to set aside money for a natural disaster fund to help you cover the immediate costs if your home has wildfire damage.
Chestnut is not available yet but we are working relentlessly to be ready before the next wildfire season. In the meantime, you can use our free wildfire risk analysis tool to see if you need protection for your home.
Check your wildfire risk using our free analysis tool. Tell us your wildfire tips on twitter @getchestnut and #getchestnut