Protecting Your Log Home from A Fire

With the recent pictures and news stories of the blazing wildfires ravaging the hills and charring countless homes in Southern California, one cannot help but think of ways to protect their own dwelling in case of any type of fire. Log home owners have an interesting challenge in terms of fire prevention: their homes are constructed entirely out of a highly flammable material.

Despite this fact, there are several methods that log home owners can employ to protect their home from fire. First and foremost, log home owners should take special care to ensure that they lessen the chance for a blaze by being safe in their homes. Having working smoke detectors is imperative. Activities such as careless smoking and careless cooking are popular causes of log home fires. Similarly, log home owners must be sure that their home heating systems are operating correctly, as faulty heating systems often cause fires as well.

Because log homes are often built in wooded or rural areas, there is ample vegetation surrounding the home to feed and fuel a fire. For this reason, log home owners should ensure that there is minimal fuel for a potential fire surrounding the house. Woodpiles, dry vegetation, propane tanks and anything else that will burn should be kept as far away from the dwelling as possible.

Other measures that log home owners can take to protect their home from fires is to be sure that their home becomes a “fortress” that keeps flames away. First, gutters should be kept clean of dry leaves and debris. A wooden fence should never be attached to the house, as it can serve as a catalyst that drives the fire right into the home. Furthermore, the roof should be made of non-combustible fire retardant materials, such as asphalt, terra cotta, or concrete.

With simple prevention techniques, employing the tips above, and a bit of common sense, log home owners can significantly reduce the chance that their home will succumb to a fire.