Stephen Quarles is an expert on how building materials perform and how different building designs fare in wildfires. For example, does the roof design make the structure more vulnerable to wildfires?
“I am interested in the durability of buildings exposed to fire and rain. When you can find ways to help a building survive several hazards, you can really argue the benefit of that feature. I like learning something new but it’s not fun when you learn from the suffering …
If you are interested in finding out if your community has an evacuation plan contact the local fire department, law enforcement agency, or emergency services department. They will discuss planned evacuation routes, assembly points, how to get evacuation information and tips on evacuation in your community.
Do not wait until a wildfire occurs to attempt to obtain this information as fire and emergency services will be extremely busy. If your community does not have one, meet with your fire department …
Glenn Nader has always lived in wildfire-prone areas. He’s a fourth generation California rancher who has been through three wildfires in Lassen County – that’s in northeastern California close to Reno, Nevada. “I do understand the homeowner’s point of view. I kept putting fire prevention tasks on my to-do list. By the third wildfire near my ranch, I felt comfortable that my home could survive the fire.”
Glenn is the University of California Cooperative Extension Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor …
Usually seen on the evening news as red cloud being sprayed out of an airplane, fire retardants have been widely used since the late 1950s and are extremely helpful in suppressing wildfire.
There are three classes of fire retardants. Long-term retardants are usually applied with a rotary or fixed-winged aircraft. They are 85 percent water, with 10 percent fertilizer and 5 percent coloring, usually iron oxide. The retardant is dyed for higher visibility over the drop zone. Long-term retardants can …
Photo source: Slworking2, “This house burned to the ground, while the one next door survived with just a few scorch marks.” October 28, 2007 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution.
Home survival in wildfire prone areas depends on a combination of choices regarding building materials and design decisions for the home or building combined with adequate vegetation management in the area surrounding your home (i.e., your “defensible space”). The resources listed below provide more information regarding the performance of materials and …
Article Written by:
Stephen L. Quarles, Senior Scientist, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, Richburg, SC
Fire ratings for roofs are classified as either Class A, Class B, Class C or are unrated if a roof covering cannot meet the requirements for any of these classifications. Class A is the highest rating, offering the highest resistance to fire, and unrated is the worst. Examples of a Class A roof covering include concrete or clay roof tiles, fiberglass asphalt composition …
Article Written by:
Stephen L. Quarles, Senior Scientist, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, Richburg, SC
During a wildfire, windows can be exposed to both radiant heat and direct flame contact exposures. Because wind-blown embers (firebrands) can travel up to a mile or more in front of the wildfire, when a wildfire threatens, windows will be exposed to embers. Therefore, the most vulnerable window when a wildfire threatens is one that is left open. Particularly with unscreened windows, embers …
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Knowing how wildfire threatens a home can effectively reduce the wildfire risk. Wildfire can threaten a home in three ways:
Embers are the leading cause of home loss during wildfire. Embers are burning pieces of vegetation …
Article Written by:
Stephen L. Quarles, Senior Scientist, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, Richburg, SC
Oil-based penetrating stains are often recommended as one of a number of maintenance procedures to extend the useful life of a wood deck. Stains can reduce the amount of water taken up by the wood when wetted, the associated changes in dimension, and the amount of erosion that can result from exposure to sun, rain and wind. Stains can also contain a fungicide …
