Guest editorial: Important steps to take to protect your home from fire

While we can't control what our neighbors do for fire prevention, there are steps we can take to reduce our own risk from wildfire. The most critical zone is from your home's walls to 5 feet out – the 0-5 Foot Zone, or ZONE ZERO. There should be nothing at all flammable in this zone. Here are some steps you can take to increase your home's safety: ● Do you have trees or shrubs close to your siding? Remove any vegetation within 5 feet. ● Do you have branches overhanging your roof? Trim them back at least 10 feet from the roof. ● Do you have bark mulch or wood chips next to your house? Remove them five feet away from your siding. Replace mulch with non-flammable material like rocks, gravel or leave bare dirt. ● Do you have a wooden or flammable fence or gate attached to your home? Replace it with a metal one or remove it if it is not needed. There should be no flammable fencing or gates within 5 feet of siding. ● Do your attic or crawl space vents have 1/8" metal screens on them to prevent embers from entering your home? This material is available at hardware stores and a critical safety feature. ● Do you store flammable items under your decks or outdoor stairs? Move them to other storage areas at least 5 feet from siding. ● Do you have firewood stacked next to your house? Move it 30 feet from your home. ● Sheds or outbuildings should be a minimum of 30 feet from your home. ● Wooden decks attached to the home should have metal flashing. There should be nothing flammable within the 0-5 Foot Zone. Whatever you implement from the list above will give your home a better chance of surviving a wildfire. Watch for the Greater Auburn Area Fire Safe Council campaign coming soon with more useful tips and resources. The Greater Auburn Area Fire Safe Council is a group of volunteers who work with local fire resources and cover Bowman, Auburn, Newcastle and Penryn. To contact us, please email auburnfiresafecouncil@gmail.com.