How Homes Ignite
One of the most common misconceptions concerning homes and fires in the wildland urban interface is “that houses burn down because they are overrun by fire,” or the perception that “this great flame front comes through [traveling] everywhere and [incinerating] everything.”** As mentioned previously, firebrands, not large, direct flames, are a much more common cause of home destruction during wildfires.
There are basically three ways structures ignite, including:
- When fire reaches such intense radiant heat that a nearby combustible starts burning;
- When the fire burns right to an object or right to the structure, causing the flames to directly touch and ignite something that will burn; and
- When fiery embers, also known as firebrands, fly through the air and land on the structure or one or more combustibles, starting a fire.
When assessing your home and surrounding
property, you should remember that regardless of all other
considerations, the following conditions put any home at risk during
a wildfire:
- Flammable roofing (especially shake roofing)
- Flammable materials within five feet of the home (high flammability plants, dried leaves, pine needles)
- Continuous path of fuels within 10 feet of the home. More materials burning close to each other will lengthen the flames and cause a higher risk of igniting the home
- Firewood piles within 30 feet of the home
- Flammable attachments, such as wood boardwalks, decks, fences, utility buildings. (*If it is attached to the house, consider it part of the house)
For More Information on Fire Safety & Your Home, visit:Firewise
**Jack Cohen, “How Homes Ignite”