How to protect your home as wildfire season approaches
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — As wildfire season quickly approaches, here are some tips and tricks to best protect your property.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which aims to help people before, during, and after disasters, said owning a property can be one of the most important investments a person makes in their life — so why risk losing it when a fire hits close to home?
While you can’t prevent all wildfires from happening, there are some ways to secure your property to minimize damage, FEMA said.
How to protect the outside of your home
According to FEMA, the roof is the most at-risk in a wildfire due to its size and orientation. They recommend installing or replacing your roof with a Class A-rated roof with noncombustible coverings.
Additionally, FEMA said to install and replace eaves with short overhangs and flat ledges. Wildfires might cause embers to fly and latch onto your roof’s ledges and eaves, resulting in a fire.
Make sure to reduce or remove flammable vegetation, use fewer flammable species, and clear all combustibles from the outside of your home. Regular maintenance reduces the likelihood of something catching fire near your home, FEMA said, as debris can catch from wind-blown embers.
FEMA also recommends ensuring street signs and address numbers are highly visible to help firefighters and other emergency responders quickly find your property.
For more information on how to protect your home’s exterior, click here.
How to protect the inside of your home
FEMA suggests taking a few minutes to check your homeowners or mobile home insurance policy and verifying your coverage to help you process a claim in the future and help you get back on your feet faster following a wildfire.
Additionally, FEMA said to document all of your belongings to help with the insurance claims process.
“Consider documenting your contents visually, either by taking photos of high-value items or walking through your home and videotaping your belongings for reference,” FEMA said.
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