Wildfire Home Protection

In addition to using the Vulcan Vent system from Vulcan Technologies, you can take further steps to harden your home against wildfires and minimize the risk of flames spreading through your home and property, ensuring your home is resistant to ignition from windblown embers. If wildfires are a legitimate concern for you and your family, we suggest that you follow the advice below in addition to doing your own research. Our guide will cover some of the basics of wildfire protection, but you will need to tailor your wildfire protection plan to your specific location.

An Emergency Plan

Coming up with an emergency plan in the case of a wildfire should be your first priority. Keeping your home safe is certainly important, but in the unfortunate event of a fire, proper preparation and planning should -- first and foremost -- ensure your well-being and that of your loved ones. To that end, identification of safe areas and routes to those safe areas is essential. This planning should include an escape route from your home in addition to an escape route out of the area in case the blaze spreads. You should keep first aid kits and other essential fire safety equipment at a convenient point along your wildfire house protection route to ensure that you can properly treat anyone who may have been injured in the fire.

Fireproofing Your Home

A clear first step toward achieving wildfire home protection is using Vulcan Technologies' fireproof Vulcan Vents. Beyond that, however, a conscientious homeowner can take several other actions regarding their home's construction to minimize risk of fire. Roofing is often considered a high-risk part of the home during a fire, as common roofing materials take to flame quickly. We therefore advise prioritization of noncombustible materials during home construction or renovation. Reinforcing dry, wooden sections of your home with fire-resistant materials can also stave off flames by creating a barrier that the fire cannot penetrate. This advice applies to many common home materials, such as drywall, wood sidings, wooden porches and eaves, and soffits, among others.

Starving the Flames

By far the most effective way to prevent the fire from reaching your home, Wildland fire protection guidelines vary from state to state, but the majority of guidelines include simple steps you can take to harden your home against wildfires:

• Have adequate defensible space based on selection, placement, and maintenance of vegetation within 100 feet of building structures.
• Regularly remove dry, combustible materials such as dead trees, grass clippings, etc. to prevent them from acting as kindling.
• Regularly clean roofs, gutters, and chimneys to prevent buildup of debris.
• Have a fire extinguisher, shovel, and bucket on hand for fire emergencies.
• Consider using intumescent fire-resistant products on your wall sidings (see www.firefree.com/wildfires for the only coating system to meet all the WUI and California Code 703A standards).
• Protect eaves and soffits with ignition-resistant or noncombustible materials (see www.firefree.com/wildfires for the only coating system to meet all the WUI and California Code 703A standards).

Wildfires are a serious threat, but they can be mitigated to some extent. In practicing proper wildfire home protection procedures such as the ones listed on this page, responsible homeowners can help keep themselves, their loved ones, and their homes safe.