How Can I Protect My Home from Wildfires in Deer River?

5/31/2022 (Permalink)

We respond to fire damage emergencies 24-hours a day in Itasca County.

Our team in Bemidji, Grand Rapids, and Hibbing responds to fire damage emergencies throughout the year. Wildfires can send burning embers flying for as far as five miles that can enter attics and crawlspaces in homes and buildings. Deer River residents can prepare now for wildfires by reinforcing attics and crawl space vents with mesh screening. The mesh screening acts as a barrier to reduce ember entry into the structure. Here is some information on using mesh screening from the National Fire Protection Association:

• Building codes require vent openings to be covered by corrosion-resistant metal screens, typically 1/4-inch to keep rodents. However, research shows that embers can pass through 1/4-inch mesh and ignite combustible materials, notably smaller materials such as sawdust.
• Embers also can enter smaller screening, such as 1/16-inch, but cannot easily ignite even the finer fuels; however, this size screening is more easily plugged with wind-blown debris and is easily painted over if you are not careful when re-painting your house.
• Installing 1/8-inch mesh screening is suggested in wildfire-prone areas, as it effectively minimizes the entry of embers. It’s important to note that 1/8-inch screening only reduces the size and number of embers and does not eliminate them entirely, making it very important to reduce what’s stored in the attic and crawl space.

Call Us!

Our local Bemidji, Grand Rapids, and Hibbing team can help when your Deer River home or commercial business needs fire restoration services. Call us today at 218-999-9799. 

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