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Firewise Landscaping - Vegetation

 

All plants can burn during a wildfire. Placement of landscaping vegetation and combustible mulch immediately around your home, and under windows, eaves, and vents can provide a way for fire to enter the home. Embers can easily be blown across a green lawn and ignite vegetation adjacent to the house. Leaf litter and needles can accumulate in or on rooves, gutters, decks, porches, and next to the house.

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The same challenges apply to outbuildings, sheds, and detached garages. In addition to your home, vegetation management treatments should also be given to these structures using the same zone approach.

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Clearing Vegetation Can Help Save a Home

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Property owners who clear vegetation near the perimeter of their homes or buildings can double a structure’s chances of surviving a wildfire, according to a report from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) and Zesty.ai, an AI-based property risk analytics company.

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IBHS and Zesty.ai studied more than 71,000 properties involved in wildfires between 2016 and 2019 to determine the relationship between vegetation and fire vulnerability.

The study found that buildings with vegetation (such as trees, bushes and shrubs) in at least half of the area that’s within 5 feet of the structure were destroyed in a wildfire 78% of the time.

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Other structures in close proximity to a home, such as decks and sheds, can also increase a home’s wildfire risk, especially for properties with moderate to high vegetation coverage. Buildings that had another structure within 30 to 100 feet of the property were destroyed in a wildfire 60% of the time compared to a 31% destruction rate for homes without another structure in close proximity.

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IBHS and Zesty.ai recommend these fire-mitigation measures:

• Starting from an outside wall, remove brush, shrubs and other small trees to prevent flames from reaching a home.

• Cut down overhanging branches so that no burning material can fall on your roof.

• If multiple structures surround your home, make sure they are clear of vegetation so they do not catch fire and pass the flame to your home.

• Start or join community initiatives to reduce wildfire fuel in your neighborhood.

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The American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA) also recommends:

• Upgrading vents around your house to 1/8th inch metal mesh.

• Replacing your dryer vent with a self-closing vent.

• Enclosing open eaves when possible. Use caulk to plug the gaps between exposed rafter tails and blocking.