Wildfire Prevention Tip #7 – Wooden Fence Strategies

February 28th, 2014

 

A rather vulnerable element for a home for wildfires is a wooden fence. From time to time, wood fences have been called “wicks” because grass fires can attack the bottom of a wooden fence and then follow it around to the alight the house itself. Many wooden fences abut directly to an outside wall of the home and can start a fire on that wall. Since the fence is often just below the eaves of a house, it can carry the fire up to the eaves and thus to the roof.

wooden fence with metal segment

Any wood fence near a house should be separated from the house itself by a metal gate, a masonry post or some other inflammable element to keep the wood fence away from the house (See the photo for an example).

A long run of wood fence can also pose less of a hazard if it is periodically interrupted by stone pillars or other inflammable materials.

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