Breaking Down Defensible Space

10/12/2021 (Permalink)

If your home is damaged by fire or any other reason, SERVPRO of St. Joseph is ready and able to repair any damage.

Breaking Down Defensible Space | SERVPRO® of St. Joseph

Wildfires are dangerous, unpredictable and hard to stop! They are a big cause of property damage, probably more so than most of us realize.

The reason they can spread at alarming rates is because of the combustible materials that we have in our world. It truly is a wonder that firefighters can get these things stopped at all.

Because wildfires are becoming more common, it’s important to take steps to limit their occurrence. This can be as simple as being more careful.

But there are also more complex steps you can implement, such as defensible space.

Protecting Your Home

“Defensible space” is a buffer area that you can create around your home. You can do this by removing anything that can feed a wildfire—for instance, dead trees or leaves.

You can also use elements such as flame-resistant gravel in your landscaping to help lower your chances of being affected.

Defensible space can be thought of as a barrier of protection that is designed to protect your home from wildfires, and it gives firefighters their best chance of stopping a wildfire before it takes over your home.

Defensible space is effective enough that many cities and states require its use. Even when it’s not required, though, it’s still a good idea.

Wildfires on the Rise

Wildfires can and do happen anywhere. There were over 59,000 wildfires across the United States in 2020.

And while California did account for 10,000+ of that number, the average number of wildfires per state in 2020 was right under 1,000. Last year, here in Missouri, we had 1,090 wildfires, burning 17,940 acres of land.

Because of that, it’s important to do everything we can to limit the risk. Defensible space is one way to do that.

If your home is damaged by fire of any sort, wild or not, SERVPRO is ready and able to repair the damage caused. Get in touch today to get the pros on your team.