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HOW TO PREPARE YOUR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TO WITHSTAND A WILDFIRE

Wildfires have become an increasingly common and devastating force of nature, wreaking havoc on communities, landscapes and properties. With their frequency and intensity on the rise, it is crucial for commercial property owners to take proactive measures to safeguard their businesses.

Preparing your property for wildfire threats not only helps protect your investments but also ensures the safety of your team. In this blog, we will explore essential strategies and steps you can take to prepare your property for wildfire safety, providing peace of mind and resilience in the face of potential disaster.

Understanding Wildfire Risks

Wildfires can either be natural or man-made (whether accidental or intentional), but according to the Western Fire Chiefs Association, about 90% of wildfires are a result of human actions. Some common causes include:

  • Lightning strikes

  • Discarded cigarettes

  • Mismanaged campfires

  • Prescribed burns that lose control

  • Malfunctioning electrical equipment

  • Vehicle mishaps

  • Arson

Wildfires are more likely to spread in environments with high wind, low humidity, drought, dried-out or dead vegetation and high heat. If any of these describe the location of your commercial building, it’s essential to prepare your facility to withstand a potential fire.

Create Defensible Space To Protect Your Property

Defensible space is the area between a building and the natural environment in which the landscape has been altered to reduce the risk of fire spreading onto it. Therefore, maintaining defensible space is essential for minimizing property damage during a natural disaster.

If you haven’t established defensible space around your facility, here’s how and where to start:

Zone 1

This is the area closest to your building, consisting of a 5-foot radius around your entire facility, so it should be the most sparse area when it comes to fuel sources for a fire.

  • Remove all flammable vegetation and materials from this area.

  • Clean your gutters frequently to avoid old debris igniting if an ember drifts into this area.

  • Take any potentially flammable objects, decor or furniture off the walls and out of this five-foot radius.

  • Avoid using bark mulch within this zone. Instead, opt for fire-resistant ground cover, like lava rocks.

Zone 2

Zone 2 is all the space within 5-30 feet of your property so you have a little more leeway for what can be in this area but not much.

  • According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, if there is grass in this area, keep it mowed and water it often to prevent it from drying out.

  • Remove all dead or dried-out vegetation.

  • Trim longer tree branches to keep them at least 6 feet above the ground and at least 10 feet away from your roof.

  • Install an irrigation system to ensure everything is adequately hydrated.

Zone 3

Zone 3 consists of the space within 30-100 feet of your property.

  • Remove all dead or dried-out vegetation.

  • Ensure all healthy trees are spaced out at least 10 feet to prevent fire from traveling among densely packed vegetation.

Modify Your Building To Reduce Fire Risk

It’s essential to audit your building’s exterior to determine its unique fire risk. Is it made of combustible materials, like lumber, or noncombustible materials, like bricks, stones, metal or cement? If it is made of combustible materials, have they been treated with flame-retardant coatings? If you have the resources, you can replace combustible features, such as wall cladding, with noncombustible materials if your budget allows.

Additionally, if you don’t have duct-type smoke detectors in all of your building’s air intakes, be sure to install them. They can identify smoke before an interior smoke detector would, and they can even shut down your HVAC system to prevent circulating the smoke throughout your building.

Be sure to also seal gaps and vents to prevent ember intrusion into the interior of your facility. If you need help identifying these weak areas, talk to a disaster response expert to discuss receiving a professional evaluation.

Evaluate Your Commercial Insurance Policy

While most commercial insurance policies typically cover fire damage, it’s still essential to review your coverage. Are the contents within your building covered if they’re damaged? Do you have specialized equipment that may require additional coverage? Be sure to do a complete audit to make sure you can recover financially from a wildfire.

It’s also important to consider getting business income insurance. This can ensure you recoup any lost income that results from being unable to operate due to damaged facilities and natural disasters.

Develop a Plan To Protect Your Team

In the event of a fire, it’s essential to have an evacuation plan in place so your entire team knows how to react. Designate certain employees to serve as your Internal Fire Team. They’ll be responsible for last-minute preparations like moving files off-site, shutting down systems to prevent excess damage and more. For the rest of your team, encourage them to evacuate and utilize a pre-established communication plan to keep them updated and let them know when it is safe to return to your facility.

Consistently Monitor Fires in Your Area

In order to make last-minute preparations and give your team time to evacuate, it’s essential to stay on top of the latest fire-related news in your area. There are many apps and services that can help, including:

  • FEMA - The FEMA app will send you real-time weather alerts for up to five locations, help you prepare and provide locations of emergency shelters in your area.

  • NASA’s FIRMS - NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System allows you to subscribe to receive free email alerts notifying you of fires in your area.

  • Cotton GDS’ FirstAlert! Program - Members of our FirstAlert! Program benefit from 24-hour site monitoring by our Business Intelligence Center. If we detect a disaster approaching any of your properties, we will send you an alert so you can begin preparations.

When it comes to wildfires, you can never be too prepared. To access a comprehensive wildfire preparedness plan, download our free checklist. You can also work with a Cotton disaster recovery expert to develop a plan customized for your unique facilities and circumstances. Get started by filling out a contact form or calling us at 877.511.2962.