This year, California has seen an enormous number of wildfires. While stopping a wildfire once it has taken hold, is very hard, are there things we can do to our properties to help prevent them from spreading?

 

Something we can do is having Defensible Space. We do this by preparing our homes and their surroundings in such a way that is becomes much harder for a wildfire to engulf our property. Clearing the immediate area surrounding your home of foliage, or anything that would increase the spread of a fire is one way to prepare.

 

Defensible space helps in many ways. To start with, it allows firefighters and their equipment to gain easy access to your home or building. By being right at the site, they have a much better chance of saving the property.

 

In order for a Defensible Space to be effective though, it requires proper and regular maintenance. It’s very important to keep areas clear of vegetation or other materials that provide fuel for a fire. As we all know, if a fire has no fuel, it will weaken, enabling firefighters to extinguish it quicker.

 

What can you do if you live in a location with a body of water such as a pond? Make sure there is good access to the area, so that it is easy for the fire department to reach. A key factor when it comes to the spread of fire is time. The faster they can access the water, the better.

 

Before you plan to do anything however, it’s important that you check with the local authorities to see what standards and requirements are in place with regards to Defensible space. before starting anything kind of project that could endanger wildlife etc.   Also, different requirements exist regarding Defensible Space depending on where you live.

 

You and your homes safety are our top priority here at The Property Inspection Pros. Please contact us if you would like more advice on this.

 

Information Every Home Buyer in CA Should Know

Learn critical information from a home inspector's perspective that every home buyer in Califronia should know.

 

Don't buy a home without first getting this critical information - the difference could be years of dealing with a "money pit", or having the home of your dreams.

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