IINC Lists Top 5 Homeowner Fire Tips

A winter of heavy rains is already fueling a fire season that is months away.

Before seasonally green hillsides turn brown, homeowners should take time to guard their homes and finances against wildfire.

“Building a line of defense against fire lies with homeowners,” said Candysse Miller, executive director of the Insurance Information Network of California. “Fire crews conduct triage as they move through neighborhoods. If you create a safe perimeter around your home, you give firefighters a chance to save your home.”

IINC recommends the following top five wildfire protection tips for homeowners: 

1) Create a defensible space. Clear the yard of brush, grasses and weeds; trim trees and remove combustible man-made materials (wood piles, gas cans, Styrofoam) from the perimeter of the home and yard.
 
2) Clean gutters and roofs. Dry pine needles and leaves provide settling embers with a rich fuel source. 

3) Box-in fascias and soffits with treated lumber. Close off all attic vents with a fine metal screen which will prevent embers from getting into the attic. 

4) Protect chimneys. Be certain all chimneys and stove-pipes have spark arrestors constructed of a minimum ½-inch metal mesh. 
   
5) Check your roof. Consider replacing wood shake roofs with new, Class-A fire resistant shingles. While this is a significant undertaking, the investment will protect your family, home and finances for years to come.

In addition to creating a ring of safety around your home, take time to review your homeowner insurance policy. Talk with your agent or company to make sure that it keeps up with changes due to remodeling projects, building code changes and major purchases such as home entertainment systems. Conducting a home inventory can provide you and your insurer a better understanding of your changing insurance needs. IINC offers free home inventory software on its Web site at www.iinc.org.
IINC is a nonprofit, non-lobbying communications association representing the property/casualty industry.  For more information, or to arrange an interview, please contact media relations at (800) 397-1679.