Tips To Prevent Wildfire Destruction

(NAPSI)–In 2020, 58,950 wildfires burned 10.1 million acres, the second-most acreage impacted in a year since 1960. Nearly 40% of these acres were in California, where 30 people were killed, 8,500 structures destroyed and 4 million acres of land were torched. Californians are asking what can be done to remain safe.To help, here are some answers from former Los Angeles County Fire Department Fleet Services Chief, Craig Weeks.For your safety, try these tips:• If you have California Fair Plan, check with private insurance companies to see if the application of certain types of fire retardant will let you buy a comprehensive policy.• Create defensible buffer space around your home, preferably 250 feet and up to 500 if in a high-danger area.• Eradicate “fire ladders,” any climbing plants that are against your house.• Enclose any wood decks, eaves or vents so that sparks cannot get underneath or inside. Use fire-approved close gauge wire for vents.• With enough heat, the air bubbles inside stucco and cement will explode (aka “spalling”) to expose wood that will burn down a structure.• Cut off “bridge” branches from trees that connect them to each other or to structures.• One of the weak points in a home can be break-in-resistant laminate windows, which will blow out in a firestorm.• Rethink the use of wood chips, mulch and clear leaf blankets from under trees as they are can be picked up by winds and become fire missiles.• Consider Sun FireDefense for wildfire mitigation to your home. The company makes a newly patented clear liquid that can be mixed into paint, stain, or just sprayed and dried onto the exterior of a structure. Its track record boasts saving homes in some of California’s biggest fires. While there are other exterior spray products, they last for only minutes or hours, while Sun FireDefense’s spray delivers multiple year-lasting protection. In tests done by major California utilities, the spray was shown to inhibit the ignition and spread of fire with one cured application. The company’s products have also been tested in California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire)-approved facilities.• When fire is close, take down outdoor hammocks and curtains and store patio furniture pillows in an enclosed place.• If evacuated, and there’s time, close all windows and doors, pull up curtains and blinds, and push all furniture into the center of the room. Leave doors unlocked for fire personnel to enter and defend your home.• Never think you will be a hero. If told to evacuate–do it.Here’s Whom It’s HelpedDuring the Woolsey fire of 2018, a resident client of Coral Canyon in Malibu explained: “We had a wall of fire coming at us and spot fires on each side. All my neighbors’ homes, 4 in a row, are rubble now. Our house took a direct hit on three sides and survived.”During the Skirball Fire in 2017, Tom Kimball, Project Manager for the BelAir home at 1208 Linda Flora said: “The fire was marching down the hill, ashes were raining down on the house–a firestorm. Just 150 yards away, four homes burned down. Afterwards, we had only a few hours of clean up.”In January 2020, American author Dean Koontz treated his family’s new home, and said, “[This] provides us with a sense of comfort in a time when the news is filled with stories of raging wildfires. I would highly recommend the product and service to anyone.”Learn MoreFor further facts and tips, call 833-466-2876 or visit www.SunFireDefense.com.