Living in a house surrounded by nature and woodlands can be peaceful and beautiful, but it can also be risky. Many Virginians living in and around wildlands need to consider the fire-prone nature of these ecosystems. Homeowners can take steps to protect their property and help alleviate the spread of wildland fires.
Fire is unpredictable. If there are weaknesses in your home’s fire protection scheme, fire can gain the upper hand because of some overlooked or seemingly inconsequential factor. Homeowners can take proactive steps to limit the potential damage to their properties in the event of a wildfire.
The primary determinants of a home’s ability to survive wildfire are:
- roofing material
- the quality of the “defensible space” surrounding it.
Take action now to protect your home.
If you’re designing or building a new home, make it Firewise from the start.
Additional Resources
| Image | Title | ID | Description | Content Type | View | hf:tax:document-category | hf:tax:Media |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Firewise Communities for Virginia | P00111 | Brochure provides important steps to protecting your home and community from wildfire, including firewise landscaping, defensible space, fire-resistant roof and exterior construction, fire-resistant attachments, steps to becoming a firewise community, a disaster plan, defensible space, and emergency access. Printed copies available. | Publication | View | fire-and-emergency-response | publication |
 | Firewise Landscaping Part 1: Overview | Video | View | fire-and-emergency-response | video | ||
| Firewise Landscaping Part 2: Design and Installation | Video | View | fire-and-emergency-response | video | ||
| Firewise Landscaping Part 3: Maintenance | Video | View | fire-and-emergency-response | video | ||
 | Home Wildfire Safety Checklist – Is Your Home Firewise? | FT0002 | Forestry topic information sheet provides a checklist of items to answer about your home to assist in identifying characteristics of your home that may require changes to improve the wildfire safety of your home. | Publication | View | fire-and-emergency-response | publication |
 | Is Your Home Safe from a Wildfire | Publication | View | fire-and-emergency-response | publication |
Learn more about making your home Firewise.
- Website information for homeowners from the National Fire Protection Association
- Website information directed at homeowners providing excellent information on all aspects of wildfire preparedness
Contact Us
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