Wildfire is coming, are you ready?

Wildfire risks in California continue to rise annually. It is becoming more apparent that we are entering another period of drought, and this just after surviving a record-breaking fire season last year.

Just like our statement regarding earthquakes, it’s not a matter of “if” but more a matter of “when."

Living within the Woodside Fire Protection District, we are fortunate enough to drive through lush forests, and beautiful vegetation. But this beauty comes with risk, and we must work together and take action to reduce our wildfire risk to our homes and the community.

Did you know that embers are the #1 threat to a home during a wildfire? When we think about wildfire, we often think of a huge wall of fire approaching….but in reality embers are what ignite homes. When wind combines with heat from a wildfire it can carry embers miles away from the fire perimeter. Once they land on your home, they will find the vulnerabilities in your homes defense. By understanding this you put yourself in a better position to mitigate potential weaknesses.

Understanding the Risk to Homes

Don Bullard, retired WFPD Fire Marshal

Media narratives often portray wildfire as a disastrous inferno, a 100-foot wall of flames raging toward our homes. But the real culprits of home loss and community devastation are much less dramatic embers flying well in advance of a wildfire front.

Embers are responsible for up to 90% of home destruction during wildfire. Landing on flammable materials – such as dry shrubs, wood roofs, decks, firewood piles and even vehicles – the small ignition points quickly spread and become larger individual spot fires. In turn, as the multitude of spot fires grow, they amass and intensify. Then, together with quick-moving surface fires, they can engulf and destroy homes.

Recognizing that many homes burn down from fire ignited by embers and not an all-consuming wildfire front simplifies the challenge of creating fire-adapted communities. By directing mitigation measures to the 100-foot zone surrounding – commonly known as the Home Ignition Zone – as well as the home itself, chances of improving survivability during a wildfire greatly increase.

Enhancing the defensible space and wildfire-resistance of individual homes not only reduces the risk of that home’s ignition, but also home-to-home ignitions, and equips the larger neighborhood to better withstand wildfire spread. As a result, firefighters can focus on individual home ignitions and not become overwhelmed by multiple homes burning simultaneously, which can lead to larger and more disastrous neighborhood conflagrations.

Woodside Fire and WPV-Ready are collaborating with various local agencies to deliver a unified message about wildfire risks and how we can all take steps to stay safer. Thank you for helping spread the word.

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