Strategies for those in fire country? Building and landscaping modifications?

[ultrarunner]

Yes with a caveat... based on my experience with construction in Europe.

Here is what I mean.

Typical single family home where I was has masonry walls, floors and ceilings.. so cinder block filled for the walls and concrete for floors and ceilings.

Windows are often tripple pane which provides greatly enhanced resistance but they go a step further... fire rated rolling steel shutters plus doors rated to resist explosions with bank vault like multi locking points...

The roofs tend to be tile, copper, steel or cement asbestos... again... very resistant to fire.

Utilities are underground and this has been near universal for some time.

So what is left to burn? The roof rafters can burn as can any decorative wood balconies.

I have seen homes hit by lighting... the roof rafters did burn and had to be replaced but almost all the tile shingles could be reused... NO damage inside the home...

The technology exists... the sticking point is cost... both for materials and seismic engineering...

The first house on the right looking up the street looks like it has a lot of wood... but all the wood on the walls is a facade... only the balcony is exposed... looking carefully, you can see the rolling steel fire shutters...

In the second picture looking down the street the home on the left has a copper roof and masonry terrace deck over parking structure built into the earth...

I helped with construction of several of these typical Austrian single family homes...

These pictures show all of the popular fire resistant roofs... tile, copper, steel and cement asbestos on the detached two car garage midway down the right... even the two car garage has a ceiling of reinforced concrete...

The play house in the picture also has a copper roof but the log kiddie structure would burn...

 

[KYErik]

Do those of you living in fire prone areas have higher insurance rates? If so, it is too bad they wouldn't give discounts for fire resistant home materials and maintaining a fire break.

How stiff are the penalties for clearing vegetation on public land? Do they have volunteer firefighters in California and other fire prone states? If so, perhaps a person could join and become "official" enough to make a firebreak for their own home without getting in trouble.

As for having water for fire crews to use to possibly defend their home- how does a person maintain a water supply at their property when the power goes out (well pump wouldn't work) or if they are on a municipal line and many homes in the area have burned (I assume there would be a mini geyser at each burned house reducing water pressure in the rest of the line)? Or would you have a swimming pool filled and ready for them to pump from?

 

[RNeumann]

Do those of you living in fire prone areas have higher insurance rates? If so, it is too bad they wouldn't give discounts for fire resistant home materials and maintaining a fire break.

How stiff are the penalties for clearing vegetation on public land? Do they have volunteer firefighters in California and other fire prone states? If so, perhaps a person could join and become "official" enough to make a firebreak for their own home without getting in trouble.

As for having water for fire crews to use to possibly defend their home- how does a person maintain a water supply at their property when the power goes out (well pump wouldn't work) or if they are on a municipal line and many homes in the area have burned (I assume there would be a mini geyser at each burned house reducing water pressure in the rest of the line)? Or would you have a swimming pool filled and ready for them to pump from?

Not a tone of volunteer firefighters in CA anymore. And it’s typically not local “rules” that dictate clearing. It’s state laws. Most local jurisdictions want the clearance on your own property.

We don’t need your pump to get water out of a tank that is positioned near the level of the driveway or above. The fire engine pump can pull a vacuum and get the water out of the tank. We can also get water out of pools or ponds with a trash pump. Something we do all the time.

 

[RNeumann]

Introduction to Wildland Fuel Management - YouTube

 

[ultrarunner]

Do those of you living in fire prone areas have higher insurance rates? If so, it is too bad they wouldn't give discounts for fire resistant home materials and maintaining a fire break.

How stiff are the penalties for clearing vegetation on public land? Do they have volunteer firefighters in California and other fire prone states? If so, perhaps a person could join and become "official" enough to make a firebreak for their own home without getting in trouble.

As for having water for fire crews to use to possibly defend their home- how does a person maintain a water supply at their property when the power goes out (well pump wouldn't work) or if they are on a municipal line and many homes in the area have burned (I assume there would be a mini geyser at each burned house reducing water pressure in the rest of the line)? Or would you have a swimming pool filled and ready for them to pump from?

Insurance is often not available except through Lloyds of London or California Fair Plan...

Many homes I looked at were not able to be insured for fire through any conventional means... these are nice modern homes with plenty of defensible space... some are fully fully sprinklered with 20,000 gallons on site water storage minimum and some many times more with dedicated fire pumps that will pump pool or pond water...

I recently closed escrow on a home that is fully fire sprinklered, in the city limits and has municipal fire hydrant within 75 feet... home is stucco and tile roof and fire sprinklers extend outside to eves and such...

I was hard pressed to find insurance... the companies I have used for decades and one for 30+ years with zero claim history all said they can no longer write new policies... even though I have current policies with them within 100 feet in one case.

I was eventually able to find coverage and only because the property was so well maintained and had all the amenities...

There is a fire risk program where all California Property is assigned a risk number... and if too high... end of discussion... or as my Broker since 1982 said... I could staff my own fire department with fire house and it would make no difference.

One of my friends, with zero loss paid $1800 a year for his home... now he pays $6500 with the fire part through Lloyds...

 

[ericm979]

California building codes require more fire resistant materials and construction than they used to or than many other less fire prone areas have. We're finishing a remodel that upgraded our house to current code and beyond. Fire resistant cement siding, roof vents that are supposed to keep embers out, and fire resistant deck material.

CalFire comes by periodically to check fire clearance around our house and to make sure they can get trucks up our road. I have been doing a lot of clearing for fire satefy. I've not had any problem with any government organization over this, nor have I needed permits. We live in a rural area and not in a city.

I recently found a book on fire preparedness that I recommend to anyone who lives in a rural area. The author lives in the foothills of the Rockies so if you're in a different area you'll have to keep your specific risks and vegetation type into account but most of the book is useful in all areas. It's "Fire Smart Home Handbook" by Clyde Soles, Lyons press. he covers house preparedness, making a fire resistant zone around the house and beyond, dealing with fire when it comes, and dealing with the aftermath. I recommend this book to anyone who lives in the "wildland urban interface" which is most of us on this forum.

In our area there's a local residents organization that has gotten grants and labor to clear along the roads. They clear a ways in too, not just close to the road. They also run a yearly or twice yearly free chipping program.

When our house was built they were required to have 10k gallons on site. Our tanks are sited up a hill from the house so the system does not require power, with a 4" line to a hydrant near the house. The house also has roof sprinklers which are not required by code. I have 500' of fire hose which sits hooked up to the hydrant all fire season, fire tools and a couple seasons as a wildland fire fighter so I have an idea of what to do with them.

 

[ultrarunner]

Do those of you living in fire prone areas have higher insurance rates? If so, it is too bad they wouldn't give discounts for fire resistant home materials and maintaining a fire break.

How stiff are the penalties for clearing vegetation on public land? Do they have volunteer firefighters in California and other fire prone states? If so, perhaps a person could join and become "official" enough to make a firebreak for their own home without getting in trouble.

One thing to add and posted before...

On occasion Mom will get a formal notice of non-compliance from Fire Department Field Inspection with severe penalties for non-compliance...

Each time I have to move heaven and earth to get a face to face with the fire department on site...

Each time the vegetation problem is real BUT the property in quesiton is owned by the city... not Mom.

When it all gets straightened out the frustrating thing is the city does nothing... citing lack of funds with the highest tax rate in the State...

A private property owner will be crucified... but, government agencies have different rules...

I have helped several seniors who have also been falsely cited... the Fire Department is clueless as to who owns the property in every case... and in all cases it is city property out of compliance.

 

[oosik]

Four years ago I witnessed a true wildfire - 2014, Watermelon Hill wildfire. I own 80 acres and prior to 2014 I always disked a wide - 150 foot - swath across my land. Idea being - curtail any fires coming at me from the SW - major wind direction.

After what I saw in 2014 - I quit the disking - I quit pumping water out of my lake to keep the big lawn to the SW green. I saw a wildfire moving at what was estimated to be around 8 to 10 mph with burning embers, sparks and burning trash advancing 1/4 to 1/2 mile ahead of the burning front. I could disk my entire 80 acres and it would have had zero effect on the advance of that fire. As I watched from the top of a nearby bun(hill) - at the VERY LAST minute the wind shifted and the fire was extinguished by the efforts of local farmers with their ginormous tractors and disk harrows. Many risked their lives and their equipment to bring this fire to a halt. I was absolutely certain - until that very last minute - all was lost on my property.

So......what have I learned and what have I done. I have had serious discussions with my insurance agent - made ABSOLUTELY sure that my house, equipment, outbuildings etc, etc are completely covered by appropriate and adequate insurance.

If this should ever happen again - - it's me - the Kubota - the dog - a change of clothing - happy trails down my driveway and on to safety.

I can not emphasize too strongly - - out here in the open grasslands and wheat country - where the fire can go for tens and tens of miles unchecked - - the best answer, in my case - - good insurance, have a prepared backpack and then go, like smoke and oakum.

During the 2014 wildfire season - there were firefighters to attack this wildfire. There was no firefighting equipment - it was all dedicated and dispatched to wildfires in north central WA state. They came out in their trucks and watched the farmers build the fire breaks with their tractors.

 

[ericm979]

Another good resource is Home - Ready For Wildfire

 

[1010]

The biggest thing is creating a defensible space for fire crews to work around you're house. Fire Wise has a lot of information on this.
Wood pile of any type, vegetation up to the house, junk in the yard, and fire crews will just keep rolling to the next house that has a chance to be saved.

Understand the fire crews don't try to stop a fire like we have seen in North and South CA recently. Only mother nature can stop a fire like that. PERIOD.
Crews are just trying to save structures, living structures not sheds. BTW don't have a wood shed up close to your house.

One other important note, FL fires in 98 burned a lot of homes. What's happening in CA, can happen anywhere in the USA for the most part.