One question on many people's minds is "can I do anything to protect my home during a fire?" While conditions surrounding a fire will vary, and there's no guarantee of 100% protection - there are things you can do to harden your home against embers, which can cause a fire on your property even if you are far away from the flames.
To help you prepare and harden your home, Cal Fire has a list of steps to take to protect your home from wildfires:
Eaves and soffits should be protected with ignition-resistant or non-combustible materials.
Heat from a wildfire can cause windows to break even before the home ignites. This allows burning embers to enter and start fires inside. Single-paned and large windows are particularly vulnerable.
Wood products, such as boards, panels or shingles, are common siding materials. However, they are combustible and not good choices for fire-prone areas.
Read the rest of the list from Cal Fire at www.readyforwildfire.org.
For additional reading, Cal Fire also has information on creating defensible space and fire resistant landscaping.
At Experts In Your Home, we love our Northern California community and hope these tips can help keep you and your home safe. We like to share information from experts in our areas of specialty and in other areas. We encourage you to take advantage of Cal Fire resources such as the above mentioned pages to help you be informed and ready.