Wildfire Safety and Preparedness

Wildfire Prevention Begins At Home

How To Keep Your Home From Spreading Wildfires

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When it comes to stopping the spread of wildfires, protecting your home is a first line of defense.

“One of the ways that wildfires spread is by launching firebrands or embers ahead of the main fire,” James Heaton, with the USDA Forest Service, told us in a recent interview.

Fires Can Launch From House To House

Those embers can leapfrog along rooftops and from yard to yard, especially if they land in gutters or on decks with ample fire fuel.

“This allows the fire to spread rapidly, particularly upslope, and also ignite homes and other items that may be susceptible to wildfire,” Heaton said.

“So we always recommend that homeowners keep those areas free of material - leaves, dry grass, any kind of combustible material that can lead to wildfire spread.”

We met with Heaton and other experts in Tennessee to celebrate Smokey Bear’s 80th birthday and talk about wildfire prevention.

“These same rules of fire safety that we're talking about with Smokey apply to the wildland and a campsite and also around your home,” said Brook Smith, an area forester with the Tennessee Division of Forestry.

Maintain Your Property To Prevent Wildfires

At home, it’s especially important to keep on top of any yard work, dry vegetation or fallen leaves.

“All of that needs to be maintained so that it does not pose a risk within your structure ignition zone,” Smith said.

Keep tree limbs trimmed to 10 feet above a home, and place ⅛-inch mesh metal screens over vents and under decks to keep embers out.

For broader protection measures, a 30-foot buffer should also be established around homes.

“In that 30-foot space around your home, we recommend that you use fire-resistant landscaping materials such as rocks or plants that aren’t as susceptible to wildfire,” Heaton said.

“Remember it’s always fire season somewhere in the United States.”

Visit smokeybear.com for more wildfire prevention tips.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM

-How To Keep Your Campfire From Becoming A Wildfire

-Weird Ways Wildfires Fires Start

-What To Know When Burning Trash In Your Backyard

Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.