Sterling Peaks Insurance
  • Home
  • About
    • Testimonials
    • Our Staff
  • Products
    • Discounts / Review
    • Auto Insurance >
      • 24 Hour Customer Service
      • Auto Insurance Liability
      • Comprehensive Coverage
      • Collision Coverage
      • Uninsured & Underinsured Motorist Coverage
      • Roadside Assistance
      • Hagerty Classic Auto Insurance
      • Towing
      • Rental Car Reimbursement
      • Medical Payments Coverage
      • Mexico Auto Insurance
    • Home Insurance >
      • Property Insurance
      • Homeowners Liability
      • Condo Insurance
      • Mobile Home Insurance
      • Scheduled Property Insurance
      • Landlords Insurance
      • In-Home Business Insurance
    • Renter's Insurance >
      • Renters Policy
      • Renter's Liability
      • Scheduled Property Insurance
    • Life Insurance >
      • Individual Life Insurance
      • Disability Income Insurance
      • Mortgage Protection Insurance
      • Second To Die Policy
      • Key Person or Key Man Insurance
    • Motorcycle Insurance >
      • Motorcycle Policy
    • Motorhome / RV Insurance >
      • Motorhome/RV Policy
    • ATV/UTV Insurance >
      • ATV/UTV Policy
    • Snowmobile Insurance >
      • Snowmobile Policy
    • Boat/Watercraft Insurance >
      • Boat/Watercraft Policy
    • Farm & Ranch Insurance >
      • Auto Coverage
      • Crop Coverage
      • Dwelling Coverage
      • Equine Coverage
      • Equipment Coverage
      • Liability Coverage
      • Livestock Coverage
      • Owners Coverage
      • Structures Coverage
      • Umbrella Coverage
    • Business Owner's Policy (BOP) >
      • Business Auto Insurance
      • Business Crime Insurance
      • Business General Liability Insurance
      • Business Professional Liability
      • Business Inland Marine Insurance
      • Business Marine Insurance
      • Business Property Insurance
      • Business Umbrella Insurance
    • Commercial Auto Insurance >
      • Commercial Auto Policy
  • Request A Quote
  • Call (970) 314-9188
  • SPI Blog

Reduce Your Wildfire Risk: Create Defensible Space

3/20/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
​As many as 90% of wildfires are caused by humans – leaving campfires unattended, discarding cigarettes carelessly or other negligent acts. Safeguard your home from wildfires by firescaping your property. Learn what precautions to take within each of the three defensible zones around your property, as well as how to create an ember-resistant home.

Know Your Zones
Picture
  • Choose noncombustible materials, such as rock or gravel. For walkways, use brick or concrete.
  • For vegetation, select low-growing plants, like irrigated flowers, or a lawn.
  • Never store firewood, lumber or other combustibles under an attached deck.
Picture
  • Remove shrubs from beneath trees. Space trees at least 10 feet from each other; more on sloping areas. Clear dead vegetation and trim branches overhanging your home. Keep plants healthy.
  • Move RVs/trailers into the 30- to 100-foot zone or create a defensible space around each. Create defensible space around each structure as well.
Picture
  • Remove dead trees, shrubs and other dry vegetation.
  • Thin and separate trees and shrubs. Trim trees and remove shrubs to eliminate ladder fuels under trees. Branch removal from the trunk should not exceed more than 1/3 of tree height.
  • Extend zone to 150-200 feet if your home is near or atop a steep slope.

​Create an Ember-Resistant Home
Picture
​Scrutinize Siding
Look for areas outside your home where the siding is near or touching the ground. Wind-blown embers can accumulate at the base of the wall and ignite the building.

Examine Vents

A house can have many vents, especially if it has an attic or crawl space – potential ember entry points. Dryer vents, too. Cover all vents with at least 1/8-inch mesh screen to help block embers. If you live in a colder area, however, be careful – the cold weather can cause the vents to become blocked. Check with a professional for guidance on how to proceed.

Close Eaves

Some homes have open-eave construction with vents that can allow embers in. In a fire, these areas can also trap heat and cause flammable framing and sheathing to ignite more quickly. A solution is to enclose the underside of the roof overhang with noncombustible or fire-retardant materials.

Install a Drip Edge

Don’t use untreated wood shake or shingle roofing. Install a metal drip edge where the gutter meets the roof to protect sheathing and fascia from water damage. The drip edge also can help keep wind-blown embers from igniting any debris in the gutter.

Replace Single-pane Windows

The glass is the most vulnerable part of a window. Multi-pane windows with tempered glass offer about four times the resistance to breaking when exposed to radiant heat. They also are less prone to breaking, therefore allowing embers and flames to penetrate. Consider replacing domed skylights, which are typically made from a plastic material, with flat, tempered glass skylights.
​
Check the Deck

A deck can easily fuel a fire. Never store combustible materials underneath it, replace dry and rotted boards, and clear debris between the boards that could catch fire.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Call (970) 314-9188
    Request a quote

    SPI Reflections Blog

    Our blog is about educating our customers and the public about important insurance information that we feel is meaningful.

    Archives

    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    November 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015

    Picture
Picture
Call (970)314-9188
need Appointment


Locations

Sterling Peaks Insurance
529 25 1/2 Road Suite B111
Grand Junction, CO 81505





​
​About Us


Our Staff

Testimonials
​

Social Media
  • Home
  • About
    • Testimonials
    • Our Staff
  • Products
    • Discounts / Review
    • Auto Insurance >
      • 24 Hour Customer Service
      • Auto Insurance Liability
      • Comprehensive Coverage
      • Collision Coverage
      • Uninsured & Underinsured Motorist Coverage
      • Roadside Assistance
      • Hagerty Classic Auto Insurance
      • Towing
      • Rental Car Reimbursement
      • Medical Payments Coverage
      • Mexico Auto Insurance
    • Home Insurance >
      • Property Insurance
      • Homeowners Liability
      • Condo Insurance
      • Mobile Home Insurance
      • Scheduled Property Insurance
      • Landlords Insurance
      • In-Home Business Insurance
    • Renter's Insurance >
      • Renters Policy
      • Renter's Liability
      • Scheduled Property Insurance
    • Life Insurance >
      • Individual Life Insurance
      • Disability Income Insurance
      • Mortgage Protection Insurance
      • Second To Die Policy
      • Key Person or Key Man Insurance
    • Motorcycle Insurance >
      • Motorcycle Policy
    • Motorhome / RV Insurance >
      • Motorhome/RV Policy
    • ATV/UTV Insurance >
      • ATV/UTV Policy
    • Snowmobile Insurance >
      • Snowmobile Policy
    • Boat/Watercraft Insurance >
      • Boat/Watercraft Policy
    • Farm & Ranch Insurance >
      • Auto Coverage
      • Crop Coverage
      • Dwelling Coverage
      • Equine Coverage
      • Equipment Coverage
      • Liability Coverage
      • Livestock Coverage
      • Owners Coverage
      • Structures Coverage
      • Umbrella Coverage
    • Business Owner's Policy (BOP) >
      • Business Auto Insurance
      • Business Crime Insurance
      • Business General Liability Insurance
      • Business Professional Liability
      • Business Inland Marine Insurance
      • Business Marine Insurance
      • Business Property Insurance
      • Business Umbrella Insurance
    • Commercial Auto Insurance >
      • Commercial Auto Policy
  • Request A Quote
  • Call (970) 314-9188
  • SPI Blog
✕