This morning, as firefighters get ready to battle another hot and dangerous day fighting the Jesusita Fire, there are approximately 2,000 homes that are still threatened by the blaze.
Coupled with zero containment and temperatures expecting to reach into the triple digits today, the fire is now in the city of Santa Barbara which has been aided by erratic winds that pushed the fire into residential areas.
Last night Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Santa Barbara County where the fire destroyed many homes and forced the evacuation of about 13,500 people from 5,400 homes.
The exact number of homes and structures destroyed or damaged has not yet been determined because thick smoke extends out over the Pacific Ocean and covers the surrounding hills preventing any observation of the damage. However, there have been some reports that said that more than 20 homes have been destroyed.
Last year, the state of California adopted new building and fire codes which primarily affect new construction, but current homeowners can take independent action to safeguard their properties in the event of a wildfire. With a few preventative measures, homeowners can increase the chance of their home's survival in a wildfire.
The first area that they can address is the roof and vents. Ignition-resistant "Class A" and non-combustible roofs have become the standard in California since the late 1990's including asphalt composition shingles and concrete tile, but many older homes still do not have Class A roofs. Roof covering cannot be overstated and you should make an upgrade to a Class A roof your first priority. But don't stop there. Countless homeowners have a false sense of security after installing non-combustible roofs. Vents should be the second item on their priority list.
Most building codes specify vents for crawl and/or attics to prevent a buildup of moisture, but vents can also offer a place where embers and flames can enter through the attic airways. These embers can ignite debris and stored personal items, potentially setting the home on fire from within. Most codes require that vents be covered with a minimum of a quarter-inch mesh to minimize plugging and reduction in air movement. Unfortunately, that is insufficient in keeping flames away from the inside of your home and poses a conflict between building and fire code preferences. Quarter-inch mesh cannot stop embers and flames during wildfires, while smaller mesh screens are more effective in keeping the flames out but clog more easily. Hence, it is suggested that homeowners frequently check their vents for buildup of flammable debris, such as dry leaves and pine needles, and for added protection homeowners should make vent covers out of solid materials that can quickly be installed over vents when wildfires do approach.
The next priority should be windows. Research has shown that the vulnerability of windows in a wildfire is the glass and not the frame. It's best to install dual-pane windows with tempered glass. With dual-pane glass the outer pane protects the inner pane. The inner pane heats up more slowly and evenly, and may protect it from breaking even if the outer pane does break. Furthermore, tempered glass is much stronger than regular glass because it provides more protection against breakage. The new law also requires at least one pane to be tempered glass. The same goes for windows as it does with vents and that is homeowners should assemble window coverings out of fire-resistant material, cut to size so they can be installed quickly over windows when a fire approaches the property. Also, a backyard deck is not something people always think about in wildfire country. Since decks are most likely to be next to a large window or sliding glass door, they can cause glass breakage from a fire's heat, permitting flames to enter the house. While thicker deck boards are better, take into consideration the gaps between the boards and the house. As with the vents mentioned earlier, combustible debris can build up in the gaps and corners, and flying embers can start a fire there too. As a replacement, consider materials such as plastic, plastic-composite lumber, or fire-retardant-treated lumber for these decks because tests conducted a few years ago showed that some composite-decking products were capable of resisting fire as well as solid wood.
There is no limit to the preventative measures you can take to safeguard your home from fires. Siding, fences, garages, and gutters all can be improved to help keep your home safer in the event of a wildfire.