It's wildfire season year-round in California, however the time with probably the most Santa Ana winds is coming soon. Here are some tricks to enable you to prepare your own home.
Home hardening
The most devastating fires by way of lack of life and property are the result of maximum wind events. Here are some steps you may take to raised protect your own home from damaging embers that may travel miles ahead of a wildfire.
1) Roof
Ember-resistant material. Gaps are full of ignition-resistant material. No loose roof coverings
2) Eaves
The eaves are maintained, all gaps are full of sealant and painted over.
3) Ventilation openings
⅛-inch metal grates or ember-proof vents.
4) Chimney
½” diameter spark arrestor. Remove branches and/or vegetation at least 10 feet from the opening.
5) Gutters
Install gutter guards. Remove combustible waste regularly.
6) Exterior cladding
The exterior cladding is maintained, all gaps are filled with sealant and painted over.
7) Doors
Weatherstripping around door frames and doors is adjusted to ensure a “tight fit” in the frame.
8) Windows
Multi-pane windows with at least one pane of glass being tempered and with a metal frame.
9) Fence
Non-combustible or flame retardant material. Maintain the fence by keeping vegetation clear.
10) Terrace roofing
Flammable material. Fill all gaps and cracks. Install metal sheet between the terrace and the outside wall.
11) Balconies and terraces
Flammable material. Fill any gaps between the deck and the exterior wall with caulk or metal flashing. Remove or replace any flammable items stored above or below.
12) Immediate zone
No woody vegetation within 5 feet of the house. No combustible items within 5 feet of the house (garbage cans, lawn furniture, storage, mulch, etc.)
Use hard materials such as gravel, pavers, concrete and other non-combustible materials. No combustible bark or mulch.
Remove all dead and dying weeds, grass, plants, shrubs, trees, branches and plant debris (leaves, needles, cones, bark, etc.).
Remove all branches within 3 meters of each chimney or stovepipe outlet.
Limit the planting in this area to low-growing (under 60 cm), non-woody plants that are adequately watered and maintained.
Limit the number of flammable items (garden furniture, storage, planters, etc.) on patios.
Store firewood and lumber 30 feet away from buildings.
Replace combustible fences, gates and arbors on your home with non-combustible alternatives.
Consider placing garbage and recycling bins outside the zone.
Consider moving boats, RVs, vehicles and other flammable items outside of this zone.
Extreme wind events by month
During an influence outage: The CPUC recommends unplugging all electrical devices during an influence outage to forestall overloading circuits and fire hazards from restored power. Turn your devices back on one by one when power is restored. For more information on preparing for power outages, visit cpuc.ca.gov
Check your neighborhood
The State Fire Marshal is liable for zoning properties throughout the state's jurisdiction into fire hazard zones. Fire hazard zone
Zones fall into one in every of the next classifications:
Moderate (yellow)
High (orange)
Very high (red)
The following map was published in April.
Enter your address
If you search for fire danger zones online, you can enter your address and see where the most dangerous areas are near where you live.
The card for desktop computers can be found Here.
Note: Over the past 20 years, most wildfires in California have occurred in non-coniferous ecosystems (64% of the area), such as shrublands in Southern California.
Over five million hectares have burned in the last twenty years, twice as much as in the two decades before.
Disappeared in 90 minutes
In 2017, the Tubbs Fire in Sonoma County resulted in a massive concentration of embers being blown across four-lane Highway 101 by high winds (40-60 mph), setting fire to more than 1,000 structures and causing $1 billion in property damage within 90 minutes. This was a wake-up call for insurance companies and fire officials, as the area was considered low-risk and outside of Cal Fire's high-risk zones.
In 2018, the Woolsey and Hill fires in Los Angeles and Ventura counties started during Santa Ana winds. The Woolsey fire burned 8,000 acres in 90 minutes. Embers from the most recent fire in Lahaina, Maui, were reported to have moved at a speed of 1 mile per minute.
image credit : www.mercurynews.com