Brush and Wildfire Prevention

​Brush fires and wildfires are a concern for multiple locations throughout the United States. Philadelphia Insurance Companies encourages policyholders to learn more about this exposure and the ways to prevent structural damage from these fires.

Brush fires can attack a building in three different ways:

1. Flying embers are blown by the wind and ignite combustible external elements. This is the most common method.
2. Fire spreads from a bush to the walls of a structure.
3. Radiant heat from high flames around a building causes the structure to reach an auto-ignition point.

When the fire hazard is high, it is important to keep a clear defensible space. PHLY recommends there be a minimum clearance of 100 feet for grass and brush fire exposure and a minimum of 300 feet for forest fire exposure.

Some things to keep in mind:

• Established roadways provide engineered features to offer some barrier and allow access for firefighting personnel, fire-mitigation efforts, and evacuation.
• Skylights and gutters are not favorable building characteristics as combustible debris can get trapped in them.
• Water accessibility greatly affects the ability to fight a fire.
• The construction of the building or type of roof is also important. Preferred roofs are non-combustible, pre-cast, poured, concrete, slate, metal, or composite.

Recommendations
PHLY has many recommendations to help protect businesses, including:

• Create and maintain defensible space around your property
• Strategically place fire-resistant plants outside the building to resist the spread of fire
• Cover chimneys with a screen
• Ask your utility company to trim trees away from power lines
• Check conditions of fire extinguishers within the property
• Practice fire drills and emergency evacuation
• Note the location of the closest fire hydrant or water supple