Summer is wildfire season. Those who live in areas prone to fire (such as Oakland and Pleasanton, California) know just how devastating the losses and damages caused by a wildfire can be. Luckily, there are things that homeowners can do to reduce their risk for a serious fire. While having the right homeowners insurance in Oakland, California is a great fire precaution to have, here are some of the other steps you should take to safeguard your home this summer. Create "Defensible Space" Defensible space is a buffer zone that separates your home from the landscaping and woodland areas surrounding it. Creating adequate defensible space around your home can help prevent a wildfire from spreading to it. To create defensible space, clear away any flammable debris in a 30-ft radius around your home. You should remove things such as dead plants, grass, weeds, and so on. To expand your defensible space, you should also do your best to remove dry brush and other landscaping fire hazards from the areas encompassed in a 100-ft radius around your home. Keep Up with Your Landscaping When you live in areas prone to wildfire, you should do your best to landscape in a way that reduces your homeâ's risk for fire. To start, you should consider plating plants that are less flammable. For instance, aloe, iris, wild ginger, and lavender make for excellent ground cover. If you want to plant trees on your property, then deciduous trees like ash and beech are less likely to ignite than other varieties. Itâ's also important to keep your plants well-watered and clear of dry, flammable weeds and other debris. Finally, make sure that you do not plant anything in the 30-ft defensible space radius that protects your home. These are some of the important things that you can do to lower your home's chances of sustaining wildfire damage. Want another way to protect your home? Then make sure you have the proper homeowners insurance in Oakland, California. For help finding the right policies, contact the professionals at Cook, Disharoon & Greathouse, Inc. Located in Oakland & Pleasant Hill, California, we serve all your personal and commercial insurance needs.
