How Embers Actually Get Into a House: The 5 Weak Spots
When people picture a house burning in a wildfire, they picture a wall of flame. Most of the time, that's not how it happens. It's embers. Small, glowing pieces of burning material carried on the wind, landing in the one spot that's dry enough to catch.
The Five Spots Embers Look For
- Gutters. Dry leaves and needles in a gutter are kindling sitting right at your roofline.
- Vents. Attic and crawlspace vents can pull embers inside the house.
- Decks. Leaves collect under them and between boards.
- The base of your walls. Mulch, doormats, trash cans and wood piles against the house.
- Fences attached to the house. A wood fence can carry fire straight to your wall like a fuse.
Fighting Embers, Not the Fire Front
Your job isn't to fight the main fire. That's for the professionals. Your job is the embers that land on and around your home. That means a hose that reaches every side of the house and a nozzle that gives you a strong stream to hit a spot fire and a fog to cover an area.
What You Need to Know
Walk around your house this weekend and look at it the way an ember would. Fix what you can for free. Then make sure your equipment can reach every corner.
Call 911 first. Always. Check your local laws and talk to your local fire department before you use a hydrant. Equipment supplements evacuation. It never replaces it. When you're told to go, go.
See The Ace Fire Defense Pistol Grip nozzle →
It's insanity not to be prepared. Please like and share this. It helps neighborhoods be safe.
Sherwin Ross is the founder of Ace Fire Defense, based in West Hills, CA. After the 2018 Woolsey Fire, he became CERT-trained and started building wildfire defense equipment for homeowners.