Hello world!

Sadly, with the environment in the world changing we need to address:

Building in a Fire susceptible area:

• Roof
  • The roof is the most vulnerable part of your building. Buildings with wood or shingle roofs are at high risk of being destroyed during a wildfire. Build your roof or re-roof with materials such as composition, metal or tile. Block any spaces between roof decking and covering to prevent embers from catching.
• Vents
  • Vents on buildings create openings for flying embers.
  • Cover all vent openings with 1/8-inch metal mesh. Do not use fiberglass or plastic mesh because they can melt and burn.
  • Protect vents in eaves or cornices with baffles to block embers (mesh is not enough).
• Eaves and Soffits
  • Eaves and soffits should be protected with ignition resistant* or noncombustible materials.
• Windows
  • Heat from a wildfire can cause windows to break even before the building ignites. This allows burning embers to enter and start fires inside. Single-pane and larger windows are particularly vulnerable.
  • Install dual-pane windows with one pane of tempered glass to reduce the chance of breakage in a fire.
  • Consider limiting the size and number of windows that face large areas of vegetation.
• Walls
  • Wood products, such as boards, panels or shingles, are common siding materials. However, they are combustible and not good choices for fire prone areas.
  • Build or remodel your walls with ignition resistant* building materials, such as stucco, fiber cement, wall siding, fire retardant, treated wood, or other approved materials.
  • Be sure to extend materials from the foundation to the roof.
• Decks
  • Surfaces within 10 feet of the building should be built with ignition resistant*, noncombustible, or other approved materials.
  • Ensure that all combustible items are removed from beneath your deck.
• Rain Gutters
  • Screen or enclose rain gutters to prevent accumulation of plant debris.
• Patio Cover
  • Use the same ignition resistant* materials for patio coverings as a roof.
  • *Ignition resistant building materials are those that resist ignition or sustained burning when exposed to embers and small flames from wildfires. Examples of ignition resistant materials include “noncombustible materials” that don’t burn, exterior grade fire-retardant treated wood lumber, fire-retardant treated wood shakes and shingles listed by the State Fire Marshal (SFM) and any material that has been tested in accordance with SFM Standard 12-7A-5.

• Chimney
  • Cover your chimney and stovepipe outlets with a noncombustible screen. Use metal screen material with openings no smaller than 3/8-inch and no larger than 1/2-inch to prevent embers from escaping and igniting a fire.
• Garage
  • Have a fire extinguisher and tools such as a shovel, rake, bucket, and hoe available for fire emergencies.
  • Install weather stripping around and under the garage door to prevent embers from blowing in.
  • Store all combustible and flammable liquids away from ignition sources.
• Fences
  • Consider using ignition resistant* or noncombustible fence materials to protect your building during a wildfire.
• Driveways and Access Roads
  • Driveways should be built and maintained in accordance with state and local codes to allow fire and emergency vehicles to reach your building. Consider maintaining access roads with a minimum of 10 feet of clearance on either side, allowing for two-way traffic.
  • Ensure that all gates open inward and are wide enough to accommodate emergency equipment.
  • Trim trees and shrubs overhanging the road to allow emergency vehicles to pass.
• Address
  • Make sure your address is clearly visible from the road.
• Water Supply
  • Consider having multiple garden hoses that are long enough to reach all areas of your building and other structures on your property. If you have a pool or well, consider getting a pump.

Creating Defensible Space

According to FEMA, one of the most effective means of protecting a building from fire is creating what’s known as “defensible space” around a structure. Reducing combustible materials around a structure has two obvious benefits: a) reduced fuel (and fire intensity) for a fire, and b) create space for emergency crews to quickly access fires and more easily keep fires at bay. Some debate the size of the actual zones, but everyone agrees on the fundamentals of creating defensible space.

When making defensible space there are generally three zones to prepare:

• Zone 1
  • Eliminate all combustible materials in Zone 1 (within 30 feet of the home) such as fire-prone vegetation, firewood stacks, combustible patio furniture, umbrellas, and dimensional lumber decking. Desirable substitutions include irrigated grass, rock gardens, stone patios, metal patio furniture, and noncombustible decking.
  • Before fire season begins, remove combustible litter on roofs and gutters and trim tree branches that overhang the roof and chimney.
• Zone 2
  • Ensure that Zone 2 includes only individual and well spaced clumps of trees and shrubs and/or a few islands of vegetation surrounded by areas with noncombustible materials.
  • Use hardscape features such as driveways and paved or gravel walkways or patios to create firebreaks throughout the yard.
  • Plant fire resistant, low volume vegetation that retains moisture well and needs minimum maintenance such as pruning and removing dead and dying branches.
  • Separate auxiliary structures such as a detached garage, pump house, pergola, and utility shed from the home by at least 50 feet. Increase the distance if the structure is used for the storage of combustible materials.
  • Comply with recommended construction practices related to fire resistance for auxiliary structures.
  • Ensure that patio furniture is either made of noncombustible material such as metal or is at least 30 feet away from the building. Store patio furniture in a location that is protected from ignition by a wildfire.
  • Place woodpiles at least 30 feet from the building and store the wood in a vegetation free zone such as a graveled area.
  • Store fuel tanks away from a structure at the minimum distance that is required by code or greater and place underground or on a noncombustible pad.
• Zone 3
  • Reduce fuels that are farther than 100 feet from the building by thinning and pruning vegetation horizontally and vertically as discussed above. Thinning and pruning in Zone 3 can be more limited than in Zone 2. The goals in Zone 3 are to improve the health of the wild lands and help slow an approaching wildfire. Zone 3 is also an aesthetic transition between the more heavily modified Zone 2 and the unmodified surroundings.

Do what you can to protect your buildings and those within them, and know that any steps you take to fire proof your building will also help keep the larger community a little bit safer.

If you need more specific details our design team can advise you of the finer points, e.g., in commercial buildings it’s best to use a heavier Fiber Cement Panel than in Residential construction (5/16″) as the maintenance and use cycles for the building are much longer.