The bushfire season of 2015-2016 is said to have been the most destructive in recent years. Statistics showed that 408 residential properties and at least 500 non-residential ones were lost or damaged during this season, costing locals millions of dollars. There were also a number of reported injuries and human fatalities. The states that suffered the most from the last bushfire season included Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, and Western Australia.
Keeping Your Home Safe From Bushfires
Although bushfires can be hard to prevent, you should still take the right steps to protect your home from being a statistic of this year’s bushfire season. This is especially true if you live in a place that is surrounded by a forest or vegetation including paddocks, bush, and grasslands.
The particular area of your home that you should pay attention to is your gutter system.
One of the main reasons why bushfires are so destructive is because they quickly escalate. As the fire moves or spreads, burning leaves and twigs are carried by the wind and get fresh oxygen for combustion. Because of this, embers and other burning materials can spread to dangerous and unpredictable lengths.
Embers can easily land on gutters. If your gutter is clogged with fallen leaves, twigs, and other types of debris, they can easily ignite if embers land on them. If this isn’t discovered and stopped immediately, the resulting fire can burn your house to the ground.
To prevent this dangerous situation from happening in your home, follow the useful tips below:
- Install a gutter protection system that is fire-proof or has zero-flammability features. The right gutter guard product can effectively reduce the risk of embers starting spot fires around your home. Gutter guards will also ensure that flammable leaves do not remain on your roof and start a potential fire.
- Getting a gutter protection system is just a start; proper installation is just as important, too. Aside from the gutters, the valleys must be covered with a non-combustible material as well. In addition, the gutter guards must be securely fixed with materials that can withstand extreme heat.
- In case you do not opt to have gutter guards installed, make sure you clean the gutters thoroughly and regularly. Remove all debris completely so that embers won’t have anything to ignite if they land on the gutters.
- Lastly, make sure your lawn, including all paths on the sides of your house, are free from flammable materials including dead branches, dry leaves, and twigs. If there are tree branches that are really close to your home or roof, have them removed or trimmed immediately.
Gutters are important features that help control water flow from the roof during the rainy season. But during bushfire season, they can easily become the part of your home where fire can ignite. By taking the necessary precautionary steps, you can reduce the risk of fire happening in your home.
