Wildfire Safety: 20 Essential Tips to Protect Your Home
- Sara F. Hathaway
- May 7
- 2 min read
Episode 482 of The Changing Earth Podcast is a must-listen, packed with practical wildfire safety tips and the lively chemistry of host Sara F. Hathaway and co-host Chin Gibson. Broadcasting live, they blend survival fiction with actionable advice, tackling 2025’s escalating wildfire risks driven by events like Hurricane Helene’s debris in North Carolina and Michigan’s ice storm-damaged forests.
Sara and Chin kick off with homestead updates—Sara’s building a chicken coop Taj Mahal—and share exciting Changing Earth news. Season 5 of the audio drama is in production, with AI-enhanced visuals and early access for PBN and Changing Earth subscribers. Sara’s novel, The Las Vegas Years, is slated for September, and her Changing Earth series racked up over 63,000 Kindle pages read last month!
20 Tips to Harden Your Home
The episode’s core is a detailed wildfire safety guide, with Sara leveraging her California roots and insurance expertise to share 20 essential tips to harden your home:
Create Defensible Space (0-5 feet): Clear flammable materials like wooden mulch or bushes around your home.
Extend Defensible Space (5-30 feet): Keep outbuildings and fuels 30 feet from your house.
Maintain a Park-Like Zone (30-100 feet): Ensure acreage looks like a park to reduce fire spread.
Skirt Trees: Raise tree canopies 6-10 feet off the ground to prevent grass fires from jumping.
Mow Grass: Keep grass short to avoid fueling fires.
Use Fire-Resistant Roofing: Install Class A fire-safe shingles or metal roofing.
Check Roof Maintenance: Ensure shingles are intact to prevent ember ignition.
Avoid Wood Shake Roofs: Replace with fire-resistant alternatives.
Install Fire-Resistant Siding: Use cement fiber siding to protect exterior walls.
Seal Roof Gaps: Close gaps to block ember intrusion.
Use Fire-Resistant Vents: Install mesh vents to prevent embers from entering attics.
Upgrade Window Screens: Ensure bug screens are hole-free to block embers.
Enclose Eaves: Cover exposed attic boards with cement fiber materials.
Monitor Ember Collection Areas: Clear debris where leaves gather, as embers may follow.
Install Multi-Pane Windows: Use tempered, dual-pane glass to resist fire.
Clear Gutters and Roofs: Remove moss, lichen, or debris that could ignite.
Replace Old Decking: Use fire-resistant materials like suspended concrete or aluminum.
Relocate Flammable Items: Move grills, firewood, and building materials 30+ feet from structures.
Secure Propane Tanks: Keep tanks clear of flammable vines or lattice.
Maintain a Hydrated Landscape: Use irrigation or rain-catch systems to keep vegetation moist.
Final Thoughts
The episode closes with Changing Earth News, highlighting global weather chaos—New Jersey’s 15,300-acre wildfire, Texas blizzards, and volcanic eruptions.
Join Sara and Chin the first Sunday of every month for live episodes, and catch the weekly Changing Earth Audio Drama. Visit ChangingEarthSeries.com for resources, subscriptions, and signed novels. Dream, survive, thrive!
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