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Travis County experts urge homeowners to ‘harden’ houses against wildfire embers
Summary
Local fire officials told a Travis County wildfire preparedness meeting that most home ignitions in wildfires happen from embers and that relatively low-cost maintenance and Home Ignition Zone assessments can greatly increase a house’s survivability.
At a community wildfire-preparedness forum in northwest Travis County, Jason Estrella, wildfire mitigation specialist with the Travis County Fire Marshal’s Office, said homeowners are the first line of defense against wildfires and urged residents to “think of your home as fuel.”
Estrella told the audience that national research shows a large share of residential losses in wildland-urban interface fires begin with embers. Citing material used in his presentation, he said many sources indicate that embers — not the flame front — cause most structure ignitions and can travel long distances.
The discussion focused on five practical areas residents can address to reduce risk: roofs, vents, decks, siding and the 0–5-foot zone around structures. Officials recommended noncombustible roofing when possible, cleaning gutters, installing 1/8-inch metal…
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