Continuing on my thoughts of a fire, is your house one that the fire department will protect? There are never enough fire engines to put one engine per house for protection on anything other than the smallest incident. We all know that we need to keep the area around the house clear of "ladder" fuels which will carry fire up to the treetops and keep flamable items away from the buildings. But there is so much more to evaluating which home is protected and which isn't. Unfortunately, for those who want to keep their homes invisible from the road, this may be the exact reasons why your home will not be protected.
What is the road like to your house? It's not just getting an engine down your road or down the driveway but is there turn around space? Is the road more than one vehicle wide? How steep is the road or even the driveway?
Are trees overhanging your house? Do you have a wood deck surrounding your house? What's the roof made of? Are brush and plants growing near the house?
What's the topography of the area? Are you in an area where a fire can come roaring up a chimney? Are you in a box canyon? What's the slope? Are the winds going to be erratic or will the heat be overwhelming due to your location? Do you have a water source that the engine can use?
Remember, the firefighters are going to put their safety first. It's more important than your property.
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