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By Coco Liu As a warmer, dryer climate triggers more wildfires, an increasing number of people are faced with the prospect of fending off disaster. More than 7 million US homes are now exposed to fire risk, a figure that’s expected to hit nearly 13 million over the next 30 years. The good news is there’s a playbook for wildfire prep, to the extent you can prepare. “It’s a complicated situation, but what people do right around their home and right on their home will make a big difference,” says Michele Steinberg, director of the wildfire division at the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Here are some top tips. How do I fire-proof my home? Experts say there are no fire-proof homes – only fire-resistant ones. And while the cost of building a fire-resilient house is similar to a traditional house, hardening an existing home can be more expensive. In the US, retrofitting roofs and exterior walls with fire-resistant materials can cost more than $60,000, but it can also lead to savings on homeowners insurance or even make that insurance gettable in places where high fire risk normally precludes eligibility. Those with a limited budget should prioritize the roof (replacing wood shingles with asphalt or clay tiles) and exterior walls (installing dual-pane, tempered windows and coating doors and siding with flame retardants). Shielding air vents from burning debris also helps, says Anne Cope, chief engineer at the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. Whether you install ember-proof vents or cover conventional vents with a metal screen, use a golf tee to ensure that the mesh is tight enough: If the tee can easily enter the screen, embers can, too. Outside, Cope suggests creating five feet of hardscape around the house to make a firebreak. “You want to keep anything that could transmit the fire to the house away from the house,” says Steinberg. That means regularly removing dead, dry vegetation in your yard and giving up certain landscape designs, such as window flower boxes and wall-hugging shrubs.
A man hoses his evacuated sister’s home during the Caldor Fire in South Lake Tahoe, California, on Aug. 31, 2021. Photographer: David Odisho/Bloomberg
How can I protect my community? Getting neighbors and home owners associations on board can help stop a fire from spreading through the neighborhood. Check with your HOA to ensure that building codes encourage the use of fire-resilient materials. In Colorado, which has historically favored wood facades, a new law bars HOAs from restricting the use of less-flammable facades. The NFPA also created Firewise USA, a program that lets anyone in the US conduct a neighborhood-wide risk assessment, identifying the weak spots and eliminating fire hazards across adjacent properties. For instance, if a shared fence is made from wood, it could accelerate a fire’s spread.
Lastly, talk with local fire officials about the conditions under which a wildfire could break out near you. When those conditions occur, exercise extreme caution. Best practices include canceling outdoor barbecues, wetting your lawn and bringing flammable outdoor furniture inside. What about wildfire smoke? Even far-off blazes can pose a health threat. Wildfire smoke contains a type of fine particulate matter that, long-term, increases the risk of lung cancer and in the short-term can trigger coughing and breathing difficulties. It’s particularly harmful to children, senior citizens, pregnant people and patients with certain illnesses such as asthma.
Health officials recommend staying indoors whenever wildfire smoke is prevalent. Look up the Air Quality Index – available in many weather apps or online – for real-time monitoring. If you have to go outside, wear a mask designed to filter out particulate matter, such as N95, KF94 or KN95. Keep it on even if you ride public transportation because ventilation systems can still expose you to particulates. Inside, consider using a high-quality air filter such as HEPA or a MERV13 to improve indoor air quality. Dusting, mopping and vacuuming your home also helps. If you have air-conditioning, make sure it doesn’t bring in outside air; instead, set your AC to recirculate air. Just in case Despite all the efforts to withstand a blaze, homeowners should always prepare for the worst. That includes but isn’t limited to: - Prep a go bag. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency suggests water, non-perishable food and three days of supplies.
- Plan at least two evacuation routes, whether at home or on a trip. In case you don’t have time to get out, look up the local shelter.
- Buy insurance and pore over your policy. Let your agent know if you’ve remodeled your home and submit photos or video alongside an up-to-date home inventory list. After a fire, document damages in detail, especially for large or out-of-the-ordinary items.
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At Institutional Investor, keeper of Wall Street’s version of the Oscars for financial analysts, the winner in one category this year is — nobody! The trade publication dropped the ‘ESG’ label from its annual analyst rankings, replacing it with the increasingly popular “sustainability.”
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