It’s not too late to save your home from a wildfire.
This week I want to take a minute to tell you about a topic which is very important to me.
I grew up in an area that was extremely prone to wildfires. Steep cliffs fell to a narrow canyon, at the bottom of which was a creek that ultimately fed into the Pacific Ocean. When the conditions were “just right”, wildfires would move swiftly and uncontrollably all the way to the beach. And our home sat directly in that path. This was a pattern that has been repeating every 30 to 75 years, beginning long before my great grandfather bought the land in 1924.
I was raised to be respectful of the environment. I was taught that we were the visitors on the land where we live. With fire a constant risk, my family thoughtfully built our home and landscaped the property in harmony with our natural surroundings, and to harden it in advance of the eventual coming fire. It’s with this knowledge and personal experience that I can appreciate the fear that people feel about wildfires.
But what if I told you that despite climate change, you can still secure your home against wildfires. With proper planning, you can live in synergy with nature, and your home and property can survive a future wildfire.
It takes knowledge and work, but it can be done.
Below I’ve highlighted some of the best resources I’ve found that can teach the average homeowner how to protect their home. You’ll have to provide the sweat equity.
National Fire Situational Awareness
The key to surviving a wildfire is advance warning. By keeping an eye on this website, especially during times of the year which are prone to fires, and watching wind patterns, you can anticipate fires long before they reach your home.
Cal Fire
Cal Fire offers a similar map, with more detail per incident but fewer incidents.
https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/
ReadyforWildfire.org
Offers specific advice on how to harden your home for wildfires.
A Homeowner’s Guide to Fire and Watershed Management
This is the guide that my grandfather used as the foundation for hardening our homestead.
I hope that you’ll find these resources as valuable as we have. If so, let me know!