Fireproofing Your Property For Colorado’s Dry Seasons

With fall settling in, dry weather across Colorado has brought about more concerns for drought. Several counties have already imposed varying levels of fire bans to prevent major fires from developing.

So far no major fires on the Front Range have occurred this season, but keep in mind that a single house fire can instantly spread. Firefighters across the state have asked residents to be careful with anything that can cause a spark as fall’s dry weather kicks in.

To protect your property from any potential risk of fire, we’ve provided tips to fireproof your house this season:

1. Remove weeds and all dead plants from your property. A clear yard reduces the risk of fire spreading.
2. Rid your roof of dead or dry leaves and pine needles. To avoid risk of injury or falling, we recommend a professional to clean off your roof.
3. Trim the trees to keep branches away from each other. Make sure your tree branches do not hang near the roof and your chimney as well.
4. Cover any woodpiles with fire resistant materials and make sure they’re further away from the house.
5. Get your gutters cleaned! Not only can debris cause structural damage to your gutters and even your house, it can provide space to allow embers to blow in and catch fire.
6. Make sure to apply fire-retardant chemicals to your yards, house exterior and roof, especially in forest areas.
7. Limit your roof’s combustibility – in other words, avoid installing a complex roof on your house with lots of valleys and ridges. Like unclean gutters, these roofs can catch windblown embers and debris, which isn’t a safe combination.
8. Protect your windows! Glass panes can break after one to three minutes of exposure to intense heat. Research fireproof windows for your house made with long-lasting materials like steel.
9. Invest in a fire-resistant roof such as sheet metal. Metal roofs are inherently non-combustible and they don’t have as many ridges and valleys as shingles. This reduces the likelihood of debris catching fire on your roof.
10. Keep the lawn hydrated and mowed. A short, green lawn will not carry fire like an unkempt, dry lawn.

If your roof catches a spark, a fire can spread to the rest of your house instantly. Make sure to keep these tips in mind and give us a call if you have any other questions on fireproofing your roof!