Most residents who live in high-risk areas are surprised to learn that the flaming front of a fire is not what most commonly burns down homes. The intense heat of a crown fire does not usually last long enough to ignite most homes from the radiant heat of the fire if the crowning fire is at least 30 feet from the home. More than half of the homes that burn during wildfires burn from creeping fires or ember showers. This is why it is critical to harden your home and the immediate surroundings, in addition to creating defensible space.
A Class A roof of asphalt shingles or metal is a huge advantage over cedar shake shingles, but fire has a way of finding a structure’s tiniest vulnerabilities and the roofing material is just a good first line of defense. You don’t want to allow embers to penetrate your home or shower off your roof into the same pile where the falling leaves have collected.
As the threat of frost passes, it is a great time for landscaping. Consider your wildfire hazards as you do landscaping this year. Avoid landscaping around the foundation, especially where there are decks, windows or inside corners that will eddy the heat of a fire. It is recommended that the first 5 feet around your home, including any attachments such as decks or garages, are surfaced with non-combustible material, such as gravel, flagstone or mowed green lawn. If you have cedar or vinyl siding, or picture windows (especially single pane), these materials are vulnerable to fire and it is especially important to avoid foundation plantings.
If you already have landscaped beds against the house, it is important that they are not mulched unless with non-combustible mulch and that these plantings are well maintained with appropriate plants for this location. Search online for “fire-resistant landscaping Colorado” for several great documents from the Colorado State Forest Service to help you with fire resistant landscaping.
Decks have already been mentioned. From the wooden stoop to a deck over a walk out basement on a slope, these pose a significant threat to otherwise fire-resistant houses. Make sure there is nothing combustible around the support posts. Do not use these areas for storage. Consider enclosing your deck with corrugated tin or stone. At a minimum, put up 1/8-inch screen to keep debris from accumulating below the deck and to keep blowing fire brands or burning tumbleweeds from lodging beneath the deck. If your deck overlooks any kind of slope, the enclosure is highly recommended. If that is not an option, pay special attention to the surrounding landscape and pull the non-combustible surface and defensible space out farther from the deck.
Another place where landscaping becomes a big problem is where the plants are near vents on the wall or in the soffit (under the eaves) that will allow embers easy access. This is why 1/8-inch fireproof screening is recommended for all non-closing vents. But avoiding vegetation in the immediate vicinity of even your screened vents is important. Fiber welcome mats, firewood stacks, and even patio furniture cushions are other common combustible materials that can put your home at risk.
Finally, that favorite tree where the hummingbird feeder hangs outside the dining room window does not necessarily have to go. Avoid trees that overhang the home and treat any tree that you keep near the home like part of the home. Remove the fine fuels around the base and any dead limbs and extend your defensible space from the outside edge of the tree. If you have one of these trees or other landscaping that you are unsure about, please contact yours truly, the wildfire prevention and education specialist for the Montezuma County Fire Chiefs’ Association at 564-4007.
Rebecca Samulski is wildfire prevention and education specialist for the Montezuma County Fire Chiefs Association and Montezuma Chapter coordinator for FireWise of Southwest Colorado.
