29 Jul How to Protect Your Home from Summer Fires
Wildfires are raging across Europe’s cities, and as summer approaches, the situation is likely to worsen. There has been a lot of speculation about what may be causing these fires, with many experts blaming climate change, overgrown vegetation, and drought. As an individual, there’s not a lot you can do to reduce the impact of drought, and while you can adjust your lifestyle to become more eco-friendly, that won’t have a direct impact on wildfires in the present.
So, in this article, we focus on the things you can do to ensure your house remains unaffected by these fires. Part of it is taking care of overgrown bushes around the home, but it goes way beyond that. Let’s get started:
Create a “zone” around your house
With some gravel, concrete, and blocks, you can build a zone around your home to keep fires away. To get this done, clear the space of any debris, bushes, dead plants, or trash cans. You also need to park your vehicles outside of this zone – anything that can catch fire can’t be inside the space. The goal is to create an area (about 5-foot on each side) all around your house that fire won’t be able to penetrate. And in the event of a fire in your neighborhood, the zone ensures that your home is safe.
Rid your deck of debris and combustible material
After building the zone, you have to make sure there’s nothing inside the area that’s fire-friendly. If you have a deck, balcony, or patio, those are the likely culprits. So, remove any combustible items that have collected (or you may have stored) under or around your deck. There’s no need to remove your furniture completely though. Just pay attention to weather reports; on days when there are wildfire warnings, move your deck furniture indoors.
Trim trees around your property
Outside your zone, make sure trees around your property are properly trimmed. Remove any branches hanging over your roof or gutters, and clear out leaves, twigs, and shrubs. In case of a fire, these serve as fuel and they help it to spread quickly. Additionally, make sure any low tree branches are 2 meters away from the ground and any high branches are 4 meters away from your neighbor’s trees.
Once a fire starts raging, it’s difficult to get it under control without help from firefighters. As a result, the most effective way to protect your home is to take precautions that prevent it from getting engulfed in the first place. Of course, you’d be smart to get fire extinguishers and place them in strategic places in your home.
If you need some help fire-proofing your home in the Algarve region in Portugal, TJ Projects undertakes home construction and renovation projects in the area. We can help you build a defensive zone around your home, ensure your roof isn’t vulnerable to fire, and create fire-resistant enclosures for your decks or patios. Interested? Send a quick message to info@tj-projects.com or call +351 918 348 898.