When it comes to keeping your home safe from fire damage, it’s important to be aware of potential fire hazards in the area.
With nearly 1600 fires logged so far in 2020, the season looks to be trending almost twice as active as one year ago. Last year, there were less than 900 fires documented by June, 2019. According to CalFire, “While wildfires are a natural part of California’s landscape, the fire season in California and across the West is starting earlier and ending later each year. Climate change is considered a key driver of this trend. Warmer spring and summer temperatures, reduced snowpack, and earlier spring snowmelt create longer and more intense dry seasons that increase moisture stress on vegetation and make forests more susceptible to severe wildfire. The length of fire season is estimated to have increased by 75 days across the Sierras and seems to correspond with an increase in the extent of forest fires across the state.”
Professional Response To Wildfires
California has a long and colorful history of fighting fires. With the population explosion in the past decades, the expertise required to control wildfire in both urban and rural areas continues to increase. Thankfully, responding to all types of situations on a daily basis is the job done by CAL FIRE’s fire personnel.
CAL FIRE crews and equipment have responsibility for the protection of over 31 million acres of California’s privately-owned wildlands. Firefighters, fire engines and aircrafts answer the thousands of calls for other emergencies each year. These emergencies come in many forms: wildland fires, commercial structure fires, neighborhood fires, automobile accidents, heart attacks, drownings, lost hikers, hazardous material spills on highways, train wrecks, floods, earthquakes.
Control What You Can Control
However brave and capable the professional firefighter are, let’s hope that you never need them in an emergency. As the summer heats up, plan now to keep your risk down. Preventatively, there are several effective actions that you can take to protect your home from wildfires and fire damage.
In California, the danger from wildfires is as much a wind problem as a flame problem. Imagine that burning embers can fly hundreds of feet into your yard so eliminate the fuel sources. Be diligent about removing dead and dry foliage. Manage the landscape: trim trees, remove shrubs near the foundation, create fire breaks in the yard.
Metal roofs are safer than shingles and composite roofs. When it is time to replace your existing roof, price out the alternatives. A metal roof may be more expensive, but it has a longer lifespan, as well.
Walk your property looking for future problems. Be thoughtful about the outdoor cooking areas. Properly dispose of charcoal and numbers after a BBQ. Keep all wooden structures in good condition. Don’t allow old lumber and scrap wood to accumulate on the property.
Whether your home fire was caused by a wildfire or a recipe gone wrong in the kitchen, you will need knowledge technicians to clean up the unique problems associated with house fires.
Our fire damage restoration experts understand how stressful it can be to worry about repairing fire damage at your home. When disasters strike, our professional team is available 24 hours a day. Our technicians are trained to identify structural risks and address instability issues until permanent repairs can be made.
PRC Inc is a full-service licensed general contractor in the Ventura County area. We provide emergency services, mitigation, structural repairs and construction services. PRC Restoration Inc. is an industry leader in both commercial and residential disaster recovery, with over 20 years of meeting and exceeding our client’s expectations.
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