Fire protection is a constant theme for Bay Area building departments, homeowners, and insurance companies. Protecting a Bay Area home in high-risk fire areas requires a multi-faceted strategy, and installing well-positioned, fire-resistant fencing is one of the most critical steps homeowners can take.
Our guide will introduce you to some of the foundational steps in assessing your property, identifying Zone Zero and fire-prone areas, and creating a customized fire protection plan.
Zone Zero Protection Basics
The California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection defines Zone Zero (also called Zone 0 or the “ember-resistant zone”) as the area between 0 and 5 feet closest to a home at ground level.
From there, they identify extended fire protection zones as:
- Zone 1: 0 – 30 feet from the home’s exterior walls.
- Zone 2: 0 – 100 feet from the home at ground level.
These specified zones help property owners to visualize and better understand critical defensible space zones relevant to their home and how to optimize those spaces by increasing the implementation or installation of non-flammable materials and eliminating or significantly decreasing the presence of materials that are quicker to ignite (wood fence panels, dead or unhealthy vegetation, tall dry grasses/shrubs, etc.).
Understanding Defensible Space Zones and Where Your Fire-Safe Fence Fits
Using fire-resistant fence panels or privacy fencing in Zone Zero provides top-tier protection for your home because it prevents or significantly slows down the spread of fire.
Wildfires spread in three key ways:
- Direct contact with flames or hot gases. When a flame makes direct contact with a combustible material, that material is likely to catch on fire if the flame is hot enough, or burns long enough, to reach the material’s combustible temperature.
- Flying embers and firebrands. When embers or firebrands become airborne, especially likely in high wind scenarios, they can travel long distances. The fire takes off if they land on your home’s roof, surrounding vegetation, or other combustible materials.
- Radiated heat. Since different materials combust at various temperatures, even the collective radiant heat from the surrounding fire can be hot enough to cause flammable objects, vegetation, or materials to combust instantaneously.
So, using non-combustible fencing in Zone Zero becomes critical in protecting your home and other structures from all three types of fire threats.
Which Fence Materials Provide the Best Fire-Safe Protection?
When you’re ready to install a new fence – or replace an old one – your fencing choice matters.
Working with a licensed Bay Area fencing contractor is the best way to learn more about using fences for fire protection and to limit your searches to fences made from fire-resistant materials. Examples of high-quality non-combustible fencing materials include:
- 100% non-combustible aluminum.
- Woven wire fences are fire-resistant (as long as they are labeled as such).
- Steel fencing.
- Fiber cement fences.
- Masonry, stone, concrete, or brick walls
If you install a privacy screen fence, which can also act as a wind block, narrow your selections to fire-rated options that have passed a 30-minute flame immersion test.
Why Wood and Other Flammable Fence Materials Should Be Avoided in High Wildfire Risk Areas
As you can imagine, wood fences or fences made from flammable materials should be avoided at all costs, including using wood fence posts. When it comes to fire risk, wood building materials act like dead trees or wood piles, which are highly combustible and accelerate wildfire spread.
- Other flammable fences include:
- Wood-plastic fences.
- Vinyl fences.
- Fences with large spaces (like chain link) that allow embers or ignited materials to pass or blow through.
- Poorly maintained fences that trap flammable debris and increase direct flame exposure times.
Again, your qualified fence contractor will be your greatest ally in helping you make the best fencing choice for your property and needs
Additional Steps To Maintain a Fire-Resistant Perimeter Around Your Property
Fire-safe fences are just one step in maintaining a fire-resistant perimeter around your property.
Other things you can do include:
Design Your Fire-Safe Fence to Block Embers and Burning Debris
In addition to choosing the right materials, we can help you design a fence that blocks embers and other burning debris. We do this using:
- The right space and distance from your home and other buildings to create a buffer zone (using that Zone 0 approach).
- Installing fire-resistant screens.
- Implementing foundation vents.
- Sealing gaps.
Maintaining Proper Spacing Between Your Fence and Combustible Building Materials
We mentioned this above regarding creating appropriate buffer zones. However, in urban areas, we can help you protect your home from fire threats from adjacent properties.
If you can’t talk your neighbor(s) into working with you on an extended fire-safe landscape plan, we can use proper spacing and design techniques to protect you from any adjacent house fire risk.
Establishing a Fire-Resistant Landscape
Designing and maintaining a fire-resistant landscape is another crucial step in protecting your home and property during wildfire season.
You can visit Cal-Wildfire’s page on Fire-Smart Landscaping for a detailed explanation, but some things to consider are:
- Keeping your landscape free of dead or dying vegetation.
- Planting native, fire-safe plants.
- Using adequate irrigation to minimize dehydrated plants, shrubs, or trees.
- Pruning and cleaning plants to remove dead or dying parts.
- Composting dry leaves.
- Leaving adequate vertical clearance between the ground and the lower branches of trees and shrubs.
Consult With Your Homeowners’ Insurance Carrier
Consulting with your homeowner’s insurance carrier can provide more ways to protect your home and property while benefiting from reduced premium rates or fire safety premium credits.
Today’s insurance companies use drones to take video and still images of their customers’ properties to ensure they’re maintaining fire-safe protocols. If your property is in violation, you’ll receive a warning and may risk policy rate hikes or cancellation.
On the other hand, you may receive a rate reduction by providing your carrier with proof that you’ve optimized fire-protection strategies, including documented proof of a new fire-resistant fence installation by a licensed contractor.
You can also visit the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety to learn more about how to prepare your home and land using their fire safety recommendations.
Duce Construction Deck and Fence Has Decades of Fire-Resistant Fencing Experience
Your property’s fire safety is our top priority. Family-owned and operated, Duce Construction Deck and Fence has helped Bay Area residents create the fire-safe fences of their dreams for more than 40 years.
We promise you never have to sacrifice high-end aesthetics or privacy to enjoy a fire-safe, Zone Zero perimeter fencing. Contact us to begin designing a fence that safeguards your home during fire season. Your safety is our top priority.