Prepare Against Wildfires This Season

This September, National Preparedness Month, is the perfect time to take some steps to prepare your home against the threat of fires. As we move into the peak of the wildfire season, it's important to take the necessary steps to prepare our homes and properties against the threat of fire. According to the National Fire Protection Association, three out of five wildfires in the US are started by people, so it's crucial that we all do our part to reduce the risk of human-caused fires.

6 tips on how you can prepare your property against wildfires this season:

Remove weeds, brush, and vegetation debris. Use noncombustible rock mulch instead of the standard mulch.

Weeds, brush, and vegetation debris are some of the most common causes of wildfires. If you have any of these on your property, make sure to remove them as soon as possible. You should also consider switching to a noncombustible rock mulch for your landscaping needs; while it may not be as aesthetically pleasing as traditional mulch, it will do a much better job of protecting your property against fire.

Trim grass and flower to 4in or less in height. Trim back overhanging trees to at least 10ft from your property.

Long grass and flowers are another leading cause of wildfires, so make sure to keep them trimmed short during fire season. You should also trim back any trees that are hanging over your property; if a fire were to start in one of these trees, it would be much more likely to spread to your home or other buildings on your property.

Firewood and other combustibles should be stored father away from your property.

If you have any firewood or other combustibles on your property, it's important to store them as far away from your home or other buildings as possible. This will help reduce the risk of fire spreading from these materials to your property in the event of a wildfire. 

Create a defensible space.

Defensible space is a buffer zone around your home that has been cleared of any flammable materials. This gives firefighters a better chance of protecting your home if a fire does break out, and it also makes it easier for them to get to your property in the first place. The recommended size for a defensible space is 30 feet, but you may need more or less depending on the specific fire risks in your area.

Install proper insulation and ventilation.

Make sure your home is properly insulated and ventilated to help prevent fires from breaking out in the first place. Proper insulation will help to keep your home cooler during heat waves, which can reduce the risk of wildfires starting near your property. Good ventilation will also help to keep your home cooler and reduce the risk of fires breaking out due to heat buildup.

Make sure your home is equipped with working smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.

In the event of a fire, smoke detectors can give you an early warning so that you can evacuate your home quickly. Fire extinguishers can also help to put out a small fire before it has a chance to spread. Make sure that all of the smoke detectors in your home are in working order and that you have at least one fire extinguisher on each level of your home.

Preparing your property against wildfires this season is crucial to protecting yourself, your family, and your belongings. By taking a few simple steps, you can help reduce the risk of a fire starting on your property and spreading to your home. For more information on how to protect your property, visit www.readyforwildfire.org.

While we can't control whether or not a wildfire will start this season, there are steps we can all take to prepare our properties against the threat of fire. By following the tips above, you can help reduce the risk of wildfire damage to your home or business this year.

If you do find that your property has suffered fire damage, give All Pro Services a call at 385-855-2252. Our  fire damage Salt Lake City team will be on standby and ready to help restore your property back to its pre-fire condition.