Firewise Building Materials

Perhaps the best protection against losing your home to wildfire can be found in the building materials used in its construction. The materials you use, whether building, remodeling, or retrofitting can make a difference in how well your home withstands both the potential "direct threat" of flames and the "indirect threat" of flying embers.

The Roof

• The roof is the most exposed portion of your home's exterior and the most at risk from flying embers. Most homes lost during wildfires are due to embers and flames igniting combustible roofs.
• Roofs near any wildland area should be constructed of noncombustible materials

Regularly clean fallen debris from your roof.

• such as composition shingles, tile or slate, or aluminum or steel. If it is not economically feasible to replace an existing wood shake roof, there are commercially available fire retardant treatments that may help slow the spread of a potential ignition or delay it.
• All roofs should be maintained to be free of all accumulations of pine needles, leaves, or other material that may burn.

Decks and Fences

• Any structure attached to a house must be considered part of the house itself and treated as the main house.
• The very nature of wooden decks - usually attached to the house and raised off the ground - make them a fire concern. All vegetation and flammable materials should be removed from under and adjacent to the deck to prevent a fire from igniting the deck and then the house. Decks elevated off the ground should be enclosed around the bottom with no larger then 1/4 wire mesh screening to prevent embers from being trapped underneath.

Keep decks free of all material that could allow an ember to smolder and start a fire.

• Areas where the deck attaches to the house can be natural traps for leaves, pine needles, and embers from a fire. These areas should be kept clean and free of all material that could allow an ember to smolder and start a fire.
• Wood fences can be highly flammable and are often attached to the house. For this reason, they should be a concern and kept well maintained. Vegetation that may ignite and hold a flame against the fence should be trimmed back or removed. There also are some commercially available fire retardants that may help prevent or slow an ignition of the fence. Consider separating the fence from the house with non-combustibles, such as brick or stone.

Siding

• Siding is another area exposed to an advancing wildfire and should be constructed of fire-resistant materials.

Vinyl can easily soften and melt during wildfire.

• If you are building, adding on to, or residing your home, consider using materials such as stucco or masonry, or other modern fire-resistant products. Some siding materials, such as vinyl, will soften and melt in the heat of a wildfire and allow flying embers entry to attics or crawl spaces.

Windows

• Windows can fail and provide openings for fire to reach inside your home. When building, remodeling, or replacing windows, the following considerations should be taken into account: single-paned glass can break relatively easy from radiant heat or from windblown debris. Multi-paned windows and smaller panes of glass will generally protect better against a wildfire than will larger panes of glass.
• Reducing the size (square feet) of windows exposed to wildland fuels will reduce breakage. Tempered glass provides the best protection from high heat.

Eaves and Vents

• Eaves can be a trap for firebrands and allow an ignition point up under your roof. For this reason, eaves should be enclosed or boxed. Eave vents, although necessary in home construction, also can provide access into your home for flying embers. They should be covered with a screen having a mesh opening of not more than 1/8 inch.

Rain Gutters

• Rain gutters are a maintenance concern. They can be natural traps for embers to land, settle, and continue smoldering. Because of this, gutters should be kept clean and free of all accumulations of leaves, pine needles, or other material that might carry a fire.

Chimneys

• Chimneys are both a construction and maintenance concern and present a risk of ignition from both inside and outside the home (chimney fires can cause a house fire; sparks from the chimney can ignite roofs and wildland fuels). Chimneys should be kept clean and covered with a mesh screen spark arrester to prevent firebrands flying into the home and embers flying out. This is a particular concern if the roof is constructed of flammable material.