CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – A Red Flag Day was issued for parts of the viewing area Wednesday, warning of the potential for fire risk. But how can we best protect our homes?
Ian Giammanco is the managing director for Standards and Analytics at the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. He said there are some steps people can take right now – and some of it won’t even cost any money. Giammanco said the sweet spot is keeping vegetation and things like your trash can at least five feet away from your home to avoid embers sparking a fire.
“When we see those Red Flag Warnings come out that means the weather conditions really are favorable for rapid spread of wildfires,” Giammanco said. “[Embers] land on things on or around our home, ignite them and that fire spreads quickly to our structures and then we often end up with a total loss.”
Giammanco said protecting the first five feet surrounding your home can create a sort of invisible fence. He said it’s important to keep landscaping out of this zone and ample space between bushes.
“We’re used to dealing with severe thunderstorms all the time, we also need to start thinking of some of these little things we can do around our home to mitigate against the chances of a wildfire,” Giammanco said.
There are other things you can do like having double-painted glass in your windows. Giammanco says if the outside pane breaks you still have a second chance with the other layer.
You can read more about how to protect your home here.
