Wildfire Damage Restoration: Fire-Safe Construction in Wildfire Zones

From 1980 to 2021, America experienced 20 wildfire events worth $1 billion in damages. 16 of these incidents have occurred since 2000. This data seems to show that wildfires are getting worse.

And experts agree. So those who plan to live in areas prone to wildfires need to construct ignition resistant homes. This is the best way to avoid dealing with the headaches of wildfire damage restoration.

Read on to learn some tips on how to do this.

Why People Build Homes in Wildfire Zones

The best way to avoid house fire damage from wildfires is to put a stop to construction in wildfire areas. However, this isn't as easy to do as you may think. There are many good reasons why people make their homes in wildfire zones.

It's Cheaper

This is a "positive" for both construction companies and homeowners. It's more expensive for construction companies to build in wildfire zones than in communities full of ignition resistant homes. So they'll build into flame-prone forests.

In better circumstances, people would refuse to buy homes in these areas. However, the housing market is very tight these days. The current U.S. housing market is facing a shortfall of 3.8 million homes.

On top of this, it's usually cheaper to live in rural areas than in urban areas. So many people will have no choice but to escape to rural areas to escape price hikes.

Ignorance

In many situations, people might not be aware of the dangers at their doorsteps. For one thing, they may underestimate just how likely a fire is to occur in their area. They can think this way because they put too much faith in local authorities or become too optimistic in other ways.

In other situations, a construction company may not disclose the area's wildfire dangers to new homebuyers. Either that or they may claim to have used fire-safe building construction and materials when they had not. Such lies could be grounds for wildfire damage lawsuits.

Why You Should Avoid Wildfire Damage Restoration

You may believe that you're financially safe in areas prone to wildfires. If your house ends up burning down, your home insurance will help you restore it, right? Plus, wildfire damage restoration can't be that expensive, can it?

Insurance Won't Always Pay

Most insurance companies will do everything they can to deny fire damage claims. Their main interest is making money and not in helping you. So you can end up getting no money or much less than you think to restore your home.

That being said, if you believe that you have a right to money your insurance denies you, there are ways you can get help.

Restoration Can Get Expensive

How much do you think house fire damage restoration costs? Depending on the extent of the damage and the area you're in, prices can soar to greater heights than you expect. Cleaning up fire damage to home sites can cost up to $26,000. multiple thousands of dollars.

Yes, smaller issues like smoke damage from fire attacks and HVAC repairs can cost less. Both of these services can cost up to $1,000. But do you want to bet your finances that you'll only have to deal with these issues?

Tips for Fire Safe Home Construction

Don't put the stability of your home in the hands of fate and people who may not care. Safer construction in fire-prone areas is the more financially sound way to go. Below you'll find some tips for fire safe construction.

Use Fire-Resistant Materials

Most people should know that building a house made of wood in a fire-prone area is a bad idea. But you may not know what wall materials are fireproof. Here are some options:

• Gypsum Drywall
• Fire-Resistant Brick
• ICF Concrete
• Chemically Treated Wood
• Cultured Stone

In addition, your walls aren't the only parts of your home you can make safer. Many roofing materials are far less vulnerable to fires than others. Examples of such materials include the following:

• Tile
• Slate
• Standing Seam Metal Panels
• Cementitious Composite Roofing

If you wish, you can also reinforce your windows. Dual-paned and tempered glass windows can increase the time it takes a fire to enter your home. Frames made of metal with internal reinforcement bars are much harder than those made of wood or vinyl.

Create a Defensible Space

Safer construction in fire zone areas isn't the only way to keep your home safe. You also need to ensure that the elements in the "wild" areas around your home will add as little fuel to the fire as possible. Most fire safety experts recommend following different procedures in the "zones" around your home.

Zone 0: 0 to 5 Feet From Home

Zone 0 is the area that's zero to five feet around your home. In this area, you need to make sure there is no readily available combustible material. You must consistently clear your decision, roof, and gutters of all debris.

You also need to remove vegetation and fire-prone outdoor furniture from the area. If you must have plants, make them fire-resistant ones such as aloe and sumac.

Zone 1: 5 to 30 Feet From Home

You can have vegetation in this area, but you must keep it neat. Trim branches that are less than ten feet from the ground and clean up any dead plant debris. Having and maintaining a water irrigation system can be a big help here too.

Zone 2: 30 to 100 Feet From Home

Do what you can here to reduce the ways that fire can spread. Plant trees and shrubs far away from each other. Keep the grass trimmed to 4 inches or below.

We Help With Fire Damage Claims

Having a home in a wildfire zone can have a lot of benefits, but the dangers of wildfire damage are not a part of them.

Also, if you need money for wildfire damage restoration in California, we can help. Here at Daniels Law, our team helps our clients with wildfire damage lawsuits and claims. Get started today by filling out the form on this page with information about your inquiry.

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