As Wildfires Spread, Here’s How to Protect Your Home From Blazes
Replacing roof tiles and hardscaping near exterior walls can help protect against flying embers.
A man hoses his evacuated sister’s home as a preventative measure during the Caldor Fire in South Lake Tahoe, California, on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021.
Photographer: David Odisho/BloombergAs a warmer, dryer climate triggers wildfires in places where such peril was once unthinkable, scores more people are faced with the prospect of fending off disaster. More than 7 million homes in the US are already exposed to fire risk, a figure seen climbing to nearly 13 million over the next 30 years, according to a 2022 study.
“It's a complicated situation, but what people do right around their home and right on their home will make a big difference,” says Michele Steinberg, director of the wildfire division at the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).