How to prepare your home, family for wildfire season | PEMCO

With growing predictions for an active wildfire season, PNW homeowners on a budget may be wondering, “What can I realistically do to protect my home and family?” 

The answer: Probably more than they think. 

For example, our partners at the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety point to a 2021 study that found clearing vegetation from around a home can double its chances of surviving a wildfire. Not bad for a low- or no-cost DIY weekend project! 

This four-step guide can help you harden your home against wind-driven embers; encourage flames to burn around, rather than through, your property; and ensure the people and pets you love stay safe during wildfire season. 

1. Remove ‘fuel’ to starve a wildfire 

Clearing combustible vegetation is a low-cost, high-impact way to improve your home’s wildfire resistance: 

• Clean up woody debris and dead grass, dried brush, and fallen needles that can provide fuel for a fire. 
• Prune trees so the lowest branches – the foliage, not just where branches attach to the trunk – are at least 15 feet high, and ensure no limbs come within 15 feet of your home or overhang your roof.  
• Keep grass mowed and well-watered within 30 feet of your home. 
• Replace combustible beauty bark with pumice or gravel. 
• Consider removing arborvitae hedges. Their oily needles and tendency to accumulate dead material near the trunk have earned them the nickname “plant torches.” Here are some good replacements, from Washington State University.   

2. Ember-proof your home top-to-bottom 

Your home is less likely to succumb to a “wall of flame” than it is to embers that drift in and ignite combustibles. Here’s how to combat embers: 

• Roof. Clean gutters to get rid of dry leaves and needles. Check soffit vents to make sure they’re screened with 1/8-inch wire mesh to keep blowing embers out of the attic.  
• Siding. Create a 10-foot fuel-free buffer around siding. That includes relocating woody shrubs and moving woodpiles 30 feet away (and uphill from your home, if possible). Store non-metal patio furniture in the garage when you’re not using it.  
• Deck. Clear out anything (especially lumber) stored under the deck and screen with 1/8-inch mesh to keep out blowing embers.  
• Foundation. Verify that crawlspace vents are screened with 1/8-inch mesh.  
• Fences. Wood fencing that connects to your home or outbuildings can lead fires straight to your structure. Attach a metal shield or gate to create a firebreak.  
• Propane tank. Clear vegetation from a 10-foot area around the tank and spread pumice or gravel.  
• Widen your driveway (or at least cut back brush) so firetrucks have the 12 feet they need to get through. 

3. Buy supplies to help manage poor air quality 

Don’t wait for smoky skies and plummeting air quality to shop. By then, you’ll face limited selection or even bare shelves for critical supplies like these: 

• N95 or KN95 masks. Unlike cloth or paper masks, they filter out the most harmful particles in wildfire smoke, thanks to their tight-fitting design and layers of protection.  
• An air cleaner with a HEPA filter. The pleated filters capture and trap particles suspended in the air. When choosing an air cleaner, check its Clean Air Delivery Rating to make sure it’s the right size for your room and works to remove smoke. (If you’re buying a filter for your furnace or air conditioning system, always follow manufacturer’s recommendations.)  

4. Double-check your ‘go bag’ and make one for pets 

If it’s been a while since you assembled your family emergency kit, replace any expired items. And don’t forget to pack a bag for your pets that includes: 

• Three to seven days of food plus bowls, medication, or supplements your pet may need. 
• A carrier, leashes, and ID tags (even if your pet is microchipped). 
• A way to manage pet waste. Pickup bags for dogs, a litterbox and scooper for cats. 

Also, if you must board your pet, know that facilities may require proof of vaccination. Ask your veterinarian what’s needed at kennels or emergency shelters. 

Don’t go it alone in wildfire season 

Check out PEMCO’s wildfire blog for more timely tips. And as always, if you have questions about your PEMCO policy, talk with your local PEMCO agent or call 1-800-GO-PEMCO.