Today many homeowners are increasingly familiar with the cost of purchasing a home in a fire-exposed area. It’s impacting real estate transactions and forcing insurance to become a major consideration when buying a home. Additionally, the risk of losing a dream home to fire is very real in our local community after 41 homes and over 50 structures were lost in the River and Carmel Fires.

How can homeowners protect their homes and comply with California regulations?

This article will cover how fires transfer to the home and then what can be done through landscape management and changes to the home.

Most people think of wildfires and envision flames stretching 100 feet into the air and spreading to engulf their home in flames. While direct fire impingement (flames actually burning the house) is a threat and based on fire intensity can cause losses. However, many homes burn down due to avoidable causes.

Ember casting is one of the leading causes of loss. As the wind blows the fire forward it also blows burning embers ahead of the fire. These wind-blown embers can travel over half a mile and when they accumulate in contact with flammable material they can ignite a fire long before the actual wildfire flames touch the house. Major areas of concern are attic and crawlspace vents, areas where combustible material can accumulate such as under decks, along the edges of decks against the home, gutters and roof gables.

Defensible space as defined by Cal Fire can be broken down into three zones.
Zone 0 – 0-5 feet the non-combustible zone. This area should be free from anything that will burn.
1. Use hardscapes like gravel, pavers, or concrete. No combustible bark or mulch.
2. Remove all dead and dying plants, weeds, and debris (leaves, needles, etc.) from your roof, gutter, deck, porch, stairways, and under any areas of your home.
3. Remove all branches within 10 feet of any chimney or stovepipe outlet.
4. Limit combustible items (like outdoor furniture and planters) on top of decks.
5. Relocate firewood and lumber to Zone 2.
6. Replace combustible fencing, gates, and arbors attached to the home with noncombustible alternatives.
Zone 1 – 5-30 feet from the home. This area should be well-manicured and free of dead or dying material.
1. Remove all dead plants, grass, and weeds.
2. Remove dead or dry leaves and pine needles.
3. Trim trees regularly to keep branches a minimum of 10 feet from other trees.
4. Create a separation between trees, shrubs, and items that could catch fire, such as patio furniture, wood piles, swing sets, etc.
Zone 2 – 30-100 Feet from the home. This area should be maintained to reduce potential fuel loads.
1. Cut or mow annual grass down to a maximum height of four inches.
2. Create horizontal space between shrubs and trees.
3. Create vertical space between grass, shrubs and trees.
4. Remove fallen leaves, needles, twigs, bark, cones, and small branches. However, they may be permitted to a depth of three inches.
5. Keep 10 feet of clearance around exposed wood piles, down to bare mineral soil, in all directions.
6. Clear areas around outbuildings and propane tanks. Keep 10 feet of clearance to bare mineral soil and no flammable vegetation for an additional 10 feet around their exterior.

These aren’t just good ideas they are required by law.

Before wrapping up there is one question that insurance agents get asked almost daily. How do insurance companies determine fire risk? To put it another way: why is my house so expensive to insure? Insurance carriers often use different industry ratings to determine fire risk but they have many things in common -
Slope: Elevation is an important factor when it comes to evaluating wildfire risk. The steeper the slope, the faster the fire can spread as well as increase in intensity.
Aspect: The cardinal direction which the slope is facing often carries implications about the condition of the fuel. Southerly slopes are drier and warmer.
Fuel: Different types of flora affect the spread of fire differently, and certain species are more apt to carry wildfire. The density and proximity of the vegetation is also an important factor.
Access: If there is only one way in and out, fire crews have to consider what they would do if the fire burned across their exit route. If they don’t have a safe exit, it will reduce the likelihood of active defense.
Location: Distance to a fire station has a significant impact on fire ratings. If the home is greater than 5 miles from a fire station that is manned 24 hours it impacts response time and increases the likelihood of loss.
These factors are major drivers of whether a company will write policies in a given area and if there is a likelihood a home's policy will be non-renewed.

There are many other factors that affect price and insurability such as roof type, building material, and nearby vegetation, but many of those can be fixed by the homeowner.

Fire is a constant threat in California, but with proper planning, investments in updates to landscaping and home changes, homeowners can do many things to reduce the likelihood of loss. If you have any questions about your home or a client's home, please don’t hesitate to call our office we are happy to help and answer whatever questions we can.