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and residents shouldn’t get overwhelmed by all that can be done to harden a home to wild re. Instead, start small because every little bit helps, she advised.

“None of what I tell you will guarantee that your home will survive, but these are things you can do that can move the needle to increase your protection,” Moore said. “Little things can make or break you.”

Embers

Embers can move miles ahead of a re, Moore explained, and the re department doesn’t have the resources to chase all of those hot spots when they’re ghting a large re. at is why homeowners need to prepare their homes and the area within ve feet around structures, the rst line of defense.

Pine needles that gather close to structures are prime places for embers to fall and start a re that can move to the structure, Moore said. ink of where the wind blows snow akes in the winter. at’s where pine needles will collect, and embers likely will blow in the wind, she said.

Zone 3 is from 30 to 100 feet from structures and should include a mixture of vegetation with defensible space in mind.

Moore said clear-cutting trees and other vegetation didn’t make sense. Instead, it was important to make wise decisions to help try to save homes in case of a wild re.

Other tips

• Vents should have 1/8-inch screening on them, so it is more di cult for embers to get inside the home.

• Make sure there is a good seal on the garage door, especially since embers that get into garages can potentially get to gasoline cans for power equipment.

• Close car windows, so embers can’t get inside and burn the car from the inside out.

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Roofs need to be free and clear of pine needles, and it’s best if roofs are Class A structures, which means the shingles and the layers underneath will not melt or catch re.

Skylights also can be problematic if they are plastic because they can melt, so it’s important to make sure there’s good ashing and no pine needles around them, Moore said.

Zones 2 and 3

Moore said that Zone 2, which is ve to 30 feet from a structure, is what she calls lean, clean and green to reduce the potential for radiant heat to impact the house.

She said residents should remove dead or dying trees, and not allow tree branches in that area to touch, so re can’t move from tree crown to tree crown. It’s helpful to use re-resistant landscaping around homes. Use plants that store water in the leaves and stems, maintain high moisture content with limited watering and are drought tolerant.

• Keep plastic trash cans away from the structure because they will melt under high heat, and could start the house on re.

• Keep wood lawn furniture away from the house.

• Wicker lawn furniture is like kindling to start a structure on re.

• Remove juniper bushes especially, with Moore calling them “little green gas cans.”

• If wood siding goes to the ground, add six inches of ashing, so embers can’t collect and ignite.

• Windows should be double-pane and tempered glass. Single-pane windows are susceptive to breaking, so embers can get inside and could burn the house from the inside out.

• If you have a fence that goes to the house, consider replacing the ve feet of fence near the house with a metal fence. If not and a wild re is headed toward your house, open the gate so it is not touching the house.