IS YOUR HOME FIRE SAFE? Find out with a FREE assessment.
With wildfires seemingly a year-round reality in California, staving off devastation with home hardening strategies has become as common as earthquake preparedness. To help with fire preparedness, FREE, confidential home assessments are available through the Oak Park Fire Council and affiliated regional groups.
Russell Krawls and Melissa Brown are local home assessors who have helped a myriad of homeowners prepare their homes to withstand wildfire hazards.
Krawls brings 34 years of fire service to his current job as assessor. He spent 23 years as a wildland firefighter and as a metropolitan building firefighter and paramedic. He has worked as a fire inspector over the past decade, a job that includes brush clearance inspections. For the past five months, Krawls has worked with the Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council and the Oak Park Fire Safe Council.
Brown brings equal experience to her new job as an assessor on the Oak Park Fire Safe Council, a post she’s held for the past three months. She previously worked for CAL FIRE as a defensible space inspector, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in fire science with a focus on Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)—where homes meet wildland areas.
To have a home assessed for fire safety, homeowners must fill out an online request form through the Oak Park Fire Safe Council (https://opfsc.org/home-assessment-request-form/).
“All Oak Park residents are eligible to schedule an appointment for an assessment,” Brown said. “The purpose is to provide education. There is no enforcement, and the groups do not share information with fire stations, insurance agencies, or government agencies.”
The assessors accompany the homeowner on a walk around the outside of the home making trained observations of potential wildfire risks.
“We give as much information as possible to homeowners so they can make the best decisions for themselves and their property,” Brown said.
Both Krawls and Brown agree that two of the most important changes a homeowner can make to protect their home from wildfire are:
- Create a non-combustible five-foot perimeter of a home, known as Zone 0
- Update all vents to the new 1/8-inch or less ember-resistant mesh
Brown explained that the smaller sized mesh in the vents help keep embers from entering the home—the number one threat from wildfire.
“Venting requirements in new homes have changed over the years,” Brown said. “It used to be a 1/4-inch mesh requirement, to keep vermin out, now it’s 1/8-inch or less to keep out embers.” Homeowners of older properties can retrofit their homes with new vents or mesh. “It’s the most cost effective way to increase your home’s resilience,” she said.
Brown added that during a fire event, homeowners should move flammable patio covers, seat covers, and cushions—anything combustible—inside the home. Wooden outdoor furniture should also be moved away at least five feet from the home.
You should start with the home and then move out.
Krawls said after the home hardening recommendations have been made to safeguard the home, you should then widen your scope to the defensible space. “I recommend vegetation management out to the 30-foot zone, such as trimming up tree limbs close to the ground, and the reduction of shrubs and hedges in this zone,” he said. Some shrubs and hedges, he said, should be totally removed to reduce the connected fuels from ground fires.
Mulch and wooden chips are extremely flammable, the assessors said. Fire-safe alternatives exist, including gravel, stone or decomposed granite, all of which are non-combustible.
Krawls also added that two other recommended home hardening tips are adding dual paned windows, with the inside pane being tempered—known to protect against fire and heat—and repairing any breaks or opening in roof tiles.
“For those homeowners who can’t afford to get a significant amount of work done, I believe the Fire Safe Council is trying to get funding to provide financial aid,” Krawls said.
Brown said another important aspect to protecting homes from fire devastation is spreading the word to neighbors about fireproofing. “A neighbor’s property can impact your property,” Brown said. “Spreading the word is definitely important to be fire resilient.”
Brown also recommends homeowners to do trial run evacuations, to ensure they are prepared for the next wildfire.
CLICK HERE to get your FREE home assessment.
