Resist Wildfire North Carolina

    7 Easy Steps to protect your home from wildfires

  1. Clear: Clear off pine needles, dead leaves, and anything else that can burn from your rooflines, gutters, decks, porches, patios, and along fence lines. Falling embers will have nothing to burn.
  2. Store Away: Store away furniture cushions, rattan mats, potted plants, and other decorations from doors, decks, porches, and patios. These items catch embers and help ignite your home if you leave them outside.
  3. Screen & Seal: Wind-blown embers can get into homes easily through vents and other openings and burn the home from the inside out. Walk around your house to see what openings you can screen or temporarily seal up.
  4. Rake: Embers that land in mulch that touches your house, deck, or fence is a big fire hazard. Rake out any landscaping mulch to at least 5 feet away.
  5. Trim: Trim back any shrubs or tree branches that come closer than 5 feet to your house, in addition to any overhanging branches.
  6. Remove: Walk around your house and remove anything within 30 feet that could burn, such as woodpiles, spare lumber, vehicles, and boats – anything that can act as a large source of fuel.
  7. Close: If ordered to evacuate, make sure all windows and doors are closed tightly and seal up any pet doors. Many home are destroyed by embers entering these openings and burning the house from the inside out.

More Homeowner Resources

Wildfire Research Fact Sheets:

Attic and Crawl Space PDF click to launch Coatings pdf click to launch Deck Fire safety pdf click to launch Fire Spread on Ember_ignited Decks pdf click to launch Exterior Sprinkler Systems pdf click to launch Immediate noncombustible zone pdf click to launch Fencing pdf click to launch Roofing Materials pdf click to launch Skylights pdf click to launch Under-eave pdf click to launch

Seal of NC Department of Agriculture

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Steve Troxler, Commissioner of Agriculture
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