![]() ![]() Home insurance policies contain several types of coverage that help to repair or rebuild a house, replace your belongings and, if needed, pay for you to temporarily live elsewhere while your house is being fixed or rebuilt. Wildfire insurance is included in homeowners insurance. Either of these items will keep debris out and stop embers from collecting under the deck. Is your deck less than 4 feet above ground? Enclose it with ⅛-inch metal mesh screening or noncombustible material. Cut back tree branches so bottom branches are at least six feet off the ground and upper branches are at least 10 feet away from the branches of a neighbor’s tree. Get rid of tree branches that hang over your roof and gutters. Also clean out around fences and underneath gates. An ember could easily start a fire if debris accumulates. Clear leaves, twigs, pine needles and other debris from your roof and gutters. Remove debris from your yard, roof and gutters.Metal is a noncombustible material and will stop a fire from spreading to your house from a fence or gate. Do you have fencing or a gate attached to your home that is made of plastic or wood or other combustible material? Replace at least the first five feet of the gate or fence with metal. Replace wood and plastic fencing and gates.Work together with your neighbor and remove fences that overlap. In this gap, debris and embers could build up causing a fire. If your fence and your neighbor’s fences overlap, this can create a gap between fences. Get rid of back-to-back rows of fencing.Clean the screen periodically and remove debris. Placing a metal mesh screen of ⅛ inch or finer over the vents will help stop fire from entering your home. Embers from fires can get into your home through vents in your attic, roof and gables. Add ⅛-inch metal mesh screening over the vents in your house.Make sure the lowest 6 inches of the exterior wall of your home is covered with a material that is not flammable, such as brick or exposed concrete from the home’s foundation. On days that there are wildfire warnings, remove the outdoor furniture from your deck and place the furniture in your house, in your garage or 30 feet away from your house. Instead, store these items either indoors or at least 30 feet from your house. To keep your deck from catching fire and spreading that fire to your home, avoid using the area under the deck as a storage area. Remove debris and other combustible items on, under and near your deck.Don’t allow debris, such as leaves, to accumulate on your roof. The Asphalt Manufacturing Association has details on the types and designs you can find in its guide. Almost all asphalt shingles on sale today are Class A fire rated. Most asphalt shingles, clay and concrete tile roofs and metal roofs are Class A. Roofs are rated Class A to Class C, with Class A providing the most resistance to fire. Make sure your roof has a Class A fire rating. #HOME PROTECTOR PLUS GEICO FREE#You’ll also want to keep your defensible space free of firewood, outdoor furniture, trash cans and children’s playsets. Avoid parking boats, RVs, cars and other vehicles in this zone. Make sure yard debris and dead plants are cleared from this area. ![]() This zone is designed to keep fire and embers from spreading to your home. Use gravel and concrete to build a 5-foot zone around your house.
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