The event was the third part of an ongoing educational series
By Damian Mann for Ashland.news
A wealth of tips to help protect Ashland homes and yards from wildfire risk was the hot topic during the latest Better Prepared Wildfire Series installment on Wednesday.
A collaboration of Ashland.news, the Ashland Climate Collaborative, Ashland Together and the City of Ashland, the four-part series provides concrete solutions to protect homes.
In the third part of the series on Wednesday, Charisse Sydoriak, a volunteer fire coordinator, and Brian Hendrix, Fire Adapted Communities coordinator with Ashland Fire and Rescue, described the do’s and don’ts to reduce fire risk.
Another event is planned from 6 to 8 p.m. on July 16 at the Ashland Armory, which will describe what preparations you need to make in advance to get ready to flee from a wildfire.
The Wednesday online event, moderated by Ashland.news board members Lorrie Kaplan and Hillary Larson, provided lots of specifics about retrofitting existing homes.
Ignition
“Wind-blown embers are the primary cause of wildfire ignitions,” Sydoriak said. “Think of them as a blizzard of burning ashes across the land.”
A burning bush next to a house is enough to cause heat and embers to rise and start a roof on fire, she said. Windows are one of the most vulnerable places on the outside of a house, and often allow the fire to penetrate into the structure, Sydoriak said.
In an online poll, 30% of the program respondents thought their home could not survive a wildfire, but many respondents also thought they had taken steps to reduce risk.
Fire behavior is strongly influenced by terrain. Homes on north facing slopes are generally cooler, while ridgelines are subject to frequent winds.
Homes above a canyon are at risk from fires roaring up the hillsides. Sydoriak said the canyon acts sort of like a chimney funneling flames and smoke upwards. Popular cypress, juniper and similar plants “burn like rocket fuel,” she said.
Even homes in subdivisions or highly urbanized areas of the city, including the downtown, are at risk, she said.
“Ashland is a wildfire hazard zone,” she said.
Sydoriak showed a short video detailing fire behavior during the 2020 Almeda fire, which destroyed 2,500 residences in Talent and Phoenix. Tornadoes of embers swirled around streets and yards. The Almeda fire “stretched so much of the state’s fire resources,” she said.
At a recent meeting in Medford about fires, Sydoriak said firefighters indicated they only had sufficient resources to handle up to four burning houses at a time.
Climate change has produced hotter, drier conditions that have put more urban areas in peril, Sydoriak said.
While lightning does cause fires in remote areas, the main cause of fires near urban areas is humans, she said.
Both Hendrix and Sydoriak provided insight into ways residents can protect their houses.
Hardening the home
Hendrix said patios, decks, fences, firewood, debris and wood siding all pose a risk for the homeowner.
“The roof can be extremely vulnerable,” he said.
Asphalt shingles with a Class A rating are the best material for roofs, because they lay relatively flat, are wind resistant and have fewer openings where embers can enter, Hendrix said. Metal roofs and other similarly-made types that seem less flammable require extra care for installation to seal all openings, he said.
Even an asphalt roof needs debris to be cleaned off periodically, and gutters should be checked at least twice a year, particularly in the Spring and in September, which is often peak fire season.
Homes with large trees, particularly Ponderosa pines nearby, should be cleaned more frequently. Hendrix said vinyl gutters are not recommended, and he suggests metal gutters.
Around the eaves of houses, Hendrix recommends attic vents should have screens with a maximum 1/8-inch opening. Many homes have screens that are 1/4-inch, which allows larger embers to enter the attic space.
Hendrix said the best type of eaves are boxed in soffits with 1/8-inch or smaller holes so that heat, flames or fire cannot build up underneath them. As to the siding, Hendrix said concrete or brick withstands a fire the best.
Fiber cement siding is good, but does have vulnerabilities, he said.
As a general rule, at least five feet of space around a house should be free of vegetation or materials that could burn at ground level. A five-foot gap should also be maintained between the house and fencing.
If a fire threatens, homeowners should open wooden gates next to houses as they prepare to evacuate, placing something heavy to keep them open, to lessen risk and also to allow firefighters to see into yards.
A six-inch gap should be maintained between the bottom of the siding and the ground, Hendrix said.
If a house has wood siding or lots of wood materials, a 10-foot perimeter should be maintained to remain clear of vegetation or other debris.
Foundation vents in houses are often recessed, allowing debris to pile up. Many existing vents have 1/4-inch mesh. Hendrix recommends installing aftermarket 1/8-inch vents that are flush with the foundation. He said they are available at Ace Hardware Ashland.
Additionally, dryer vents or pipes often stick out of these vents. Hendrix said “rock wool” should be installed around the openings. Steel wool will burn in a fire, so it isn’t recommended. Existing dryer vents should be upgraded to stainless steel, and the vents should be regularly cleaned because lint is highly flammable.
If possible, single-pane glass should be upgraded to double pane, and preferably tempered glass, Hendrix said.
Audience members asked whether special fire resistant paints are a good idea. Sydoriak said they only offer about two minutes of protection against a fire. Hendrix said the paints and gel coatings are very expensive and have to be applied frequently.
“They are very expensive and don’t last very long,” Hendrix said.
Hardening the property
Sydoriak explained the concept of “home ignition zones,” which establishes vegetation boundaries around a home.
“The farther away the fuel is from the home, the less likely that heat will be transmitted to the home,” she said.
The first five feet around the home is the most critical on whether a home will burn or not, Sydoriak said. Plants and mulches are frequently in that zone and aren’t recommended.
Having a tree in a pot next to a house is also not recommended. So-called ladder fuels, or trees, that grow under the eaves should be avoided.
Hedges and fences should be avoided within 10 feet of a house. Every six feet, there should be breaks in vegetation or flammable objects around a house. The next zone is five to 30 feet around the home, which allows for minimal vegetation but no highly flammable plants.
From 30-100 feet around the house, breaks between vegetation are still recommended, but houses on slopes need to increase that distance. Consideration should be made about spacing between plants, types of plants, and maintenance.
Sydoriak said homeowners should be aware that anything on a house that is three times the height of a plant could burn if the plant catches on fire. That height danger increases on slopes.
Plants should not be placed next to window. When the plants catch fire, windows will break when the temperature gets to 180 degrees, Sydoriak said.
The spacing requirements are more problematic in neighborhoods where houses are located close together. Dead branches should be removed on vegetation, reducing the amount of ladder fuels. A tree should be pruned up to at least six feet from the ground, and preferably up to 10 feet.
If a homeowner chooses to use a mulch in a garden, Sydoriak suggests composted wood chips because fire doesn’t spread as easily through them.
As to plant selection, Sydoriak doesn’t recommend invasive species or plants that tend to die easily in this climate. She doesn’t recommend bamboo, arbor vitae, vines, pampas grasses, juniper or cedar.
Plants that should be considered include those with moist or supple leaves, minimal dead wood, low sap or resin and ability to receive water and nutrients to remain healthy.
Go to Sydoriak’s website, living-with-fire.org, for a list of recommended plants.
Reach writer Damian Mann at dmannnews@gmail.com
