What Is Defensible Space? | SERVPRO® of Thomaston, Forsyth & Fort Valley

7/22/2021 (Permalink)

If your home is damaged by fire or any other reason, SERVPRO of Thomaston, Forsyth & Fort Valley is ready and able to repair any damage.

You may not think about wildfires often, but they’re becoming more common. They are a big cause of property damage, probably more so than most of us realize.

Wildfires can spread at alarming rates because of the combustible materials that we have in our world, and it’s amazing we can get them stopped at all.

Nothing is 100% preventable when it comes to Mother Nature, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to try. You can do that by simply being more careful, but you can also take other steps, such as adding defensible space.

How Do I Achieve Defensible Space?

“Defensible space” is a buffer you create between your home and the landscaping, grass or trees that surround it. You can carve out defensible space by removing anything that can add fuel to a wildfire, such as dead trees or leaves.

You can also use landscaping elements such as flame-resistant gravel to help lower your chances of being affected.

Defensible space is needed so that it can add a barrier of protection, which is designed to protect your home from wildfires by slowing them down or stopping them altogether. It also allows for firefighters to have their best chance of stopping a wildfire before it takes over your home.

Defensible space is now required of property owners in many places, and even when it’s not required, it’s still highly recommended.

The Number of Wildfires

When we think of wildfires, California often comes to mind, but in reality, wildfires occur everywhere. There were over 59,000 wildfires across the United States in 2020.

California did account for 10,000+ of those 59,000 wildfires; however, the average number of wildfires per state in 2020 was right under 1,000. In Georgia last year, we experienced 1,699 wildfires, burning 5,677 acres of land.

That’s a lot of damage! It’s important to take steps to protect your property and limit the spread of wildfires. Defensible space is one way to do that.

If your home is damaged by fire of any sort, wild or not, SERVPRO is ready and able to repair the damage caused. Get in touch today to get the pros on your team.