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Resident asks whether low‑cost attic vent covers reduce ember risk; fire staff advise checking specifications and inspections
Summary
A Tiburon resident asked the disaster council about inexpensive and honeycomb‑style attic vent covers that claim to block embers. Staff advised consulting county/fire specifications, noted that some covers restrict airflow, and recommended contacting Southern Wind Fire District for inspections and guidance.
During the open forum at the Jan. 28 Belvedere Tiburon Joint Disaster Advisory Council meeting, resident Dan Perkolbe raised a question about using aftermarket vent covers to reduce embers entering attic spaces.
“My name is Dan Perkolbe, and I live at 337 Blackfield Drive,” he told the council, then described two vent‑cover types: a low‑cost mesh cover and a slightly more expensive honeycomb insert that he said will melt and seal when exposed to high heat.
Perkolbe asked whether those products reduce air flow into attics and whether stacked bug screen is an adequate mitigation. He said he had stapled bug screen over his vents and wanted to know if that was an acceptable short‑term option.
In response, staff on the dais advised homeowners to check published specifications and local fire‑safety guidance before installing covers. A staff member recommended consulting the county fire website for recommended dimensions and said the covers could restrict airflow. He also encouraged Perkolbe to contact Southern Wind Fire District for an inspection and for tailored recommendations on vegetation and vent screening.
The council took the exchange as an opportunity to urge residents to follow established home‑hardening and defensible‑space guidance and to request official inspections rather than relying solely on ad‑hoc fixes.
The transcript records no code citation or town ordinance requiring a specific vent cover; staff directed residents to county and fire district guidance rather than offering a binding policy decision at the meeting.
