Lessons Learned From a Fiery Decade in L.A. (keep fire retardant)
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Before he drove off, he said something I’ve never forgotten. “You know you’re going to have to fight a wildfire one day to save this house.”.. Between rides on uncrowded waves, he listed the items I’d need to save my home, including a fire retardant just like what the fire departments drop from planes and helicopters. Apparently, we were to spray our own house in advance of the fire. I never imagined I’d use any of it.
Then in 2018, the Woolsey Fire burst alive in the mountains above my home. The blaze turned out to be one of the most destructive in California history, burning 100,000 acres, forcing 250,000 people to evacuate and destroying nearly 2,000 homes and structures. On my street, 17 of 19 homes burned to the ground. Because of Tim and our spraying, our Victorian was one of the few homes to survive.
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People often ask me what homeowners can do to avoid the sorrow of losing their home from a wildfire without putting themselves in danger or relying only on luck.
The answer is quite a lot, actually. Spraying, or gelling, in advance of a fire is just one way to give your home a fighting chance to survive. (If no fire comes, the product can be power-washed off.) Removing dry brush and dead leaves and the most flammable vegetation is another critically important step. Experts I’ve interviewed say the most significant thing homeowners can do to mitigate fire risk is to reduce the amount of available fuel.
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