Home Improvement

Wildfire season is in full swing. And if you live anywhere in the American West, fireproofing your house likely tops the list of outdoor chores—as it does for me. After living through several seasons of Colorado wildfires, I’ve learned what is—and isn’t—effective in home preparedness.

A quick note to those who might be panic-scrolling when fires are in the area: Wildfire home preparation isn’t something to do when a fire threat is imminent. If that’s your situation, immediately check in with local authorities and prepare for an evacuation.

Instead, this is a to-do list for those who aren’t in immediate danger of a fire but rather want to harden their home in the event of future fires. While you can’t fireproof your home, hardening can help shore up vulnerable areas.

Here are six tips from wildfire experts on how to prepare your home to improve its chance of surviving the next wildfire.

1. Update your roof

When optimizing your home for protection from a wildfire, the first thing to consider is where a fire is most likely to start: your roof.

“Burning embers ignite 90% of all structure fires,” says Bruce Jones, meteorologist and survival expert at Midland Radio. “Frequently propelled by fiery winds of 30 to 80 mph, embers can lodge under roof shingles or blow inside roof and eave vents, igniting your home.”

Jones suggests investing in components with a Class A rating to harden your roof. These come in various materials, including metal, concrete, clay tile, or even fiberglass and asphalt shingles. While these fire-resistant materials tend to be more expensive, they’re a worthy investment that might save your home from catching fire.

2. Install ember-resistant vents

Embers also tend to get trapped in vents or can blow into an attic or crawl space. This can lead to homes catching fire from the inside out. Fortunately, you can take protective measures to address this issue.

“Install flame- and ember-resistant vents, which protect against ember casts and direct flame impingement,” suggests Joe Torres, CEO of wildfire risk and mitigation company All Risk Shield. “Ember-resistant mesh in one-eighth to one-sixteenth will also offer protection.”

Always consult with a contractor or architect before installing ember-resistant vents to ensure that your home will still have adequate ventilation.

3. Clean your gutters

Keeping on the topic of limiting flammable material near your roof system is this simple task: Clean your gutters, especially if they accumulate lots of dead leaves or pine needles.

“Removing organic material from roofs and gutters eliminates potential fuel for sparks,” says Steve Leasure of fire damage restoration company Rainbow Restoration. “This will help prevent embers from landing in debris-filled gutters and igniting.”

Not a big fan of climbing a ladder? Consider installing gutter guards instead.

4. Create a ‘zone zero’

A quick explainer: A “zone zero” is something wildfire experts use to refer to an imaginary 5-foot-deep perimeter around your home, ideally containing zero fuel sources.

Look around your home, and see if there is anything resembling a “swarm of wood matches all landing here,” says Clark Stevens, architect of the demonstration Fire Resilient Home.

Those potential matches could be combustibles (like propane tanks) or flammable materials (like plants or wooden furniture). Remove them from your zone zero. Ideally, get them as far from the house as possible. And don’t panic about things that won’t ignite.

“No amount of wood matches will light a large wood surface that is not cracked or fuzzy,” says Stevens. “So don’t freak out about your wood siding; it will be fine. But do freak if you (still) haven’t replaced your wood shake roofing.”

5. Mitigate fire risk around your house

After clearing your zone zero, there’s still work you should do beyond it. Focus on getting rid of any dry or dead organic material that could be a fuel source for fires.

“Remove small trees like scrub oak and ground fuel like pine needles,” says Leasure. “Cut branches hanging over the roof.”

You’ll also want to prune your trees to avoid something called a flame ladder—which is when fires climb up structures and ignite them. Prune branches at least 6 feet off the ground, thereby minimizing the potential for a flame ladder.

6. Prioritize healthy soil and plants

It might sound more like gardening advice, but prioritizing healthy soil and plants is actually one of the best things you can do to minimize fire risk.

“Healthy soils (which require vegetative cover) hold moisture, and soil moisture reduces ignitions,” says Stevens. “So having a blank moonscape beyond your zone zero isn’t helpful.”

All of this is to say that your lush wildflower garden isn’t going to hurt your home’s wildfire protection, assuming it doesn’t rub right up against your house or contain tons of dead material. You also shouldn’t be tempted to start cutting down trees left and right, especially if they’re healthy.

“It is impossible to set a healthy, native tree that’s well maintained (i.e., free of deadwood) on fire from the fire bees in the air,” says Stevens. “The embers fall through to the ground, so look at the ground first and avoid ignition there.”