Good day, lovers of our paradise. Welcome to our periodic Firewise newsletter, where we introduce one topic pertinent to our neighborhood's Risk Assessment and 3-year Action Plan (on our Resources page). 

Today's topic is the importance of Windows. But first…some reminders about maintaining vegetation during high fire season (which is now).

To minimize the spread of fire and danger to your home and our community:

• Clean up leaf litter under plants, particularly bougainvillea, pepper, and eucalyptus. Also, clean leaf litter from gutters to minimize fire to your home.
• Trim the bottom of hedges so that they are not vulnerable to burning from leaf litter
• Prune mature trees so that branches are at least 6’ off the ground. Doing so reduces the potential for burning embers on the ground to propagate up the tree. This is particularly true for pepper, eucalyptus, jacaranda, and acacia trees. Suckers on the trees should also be removed.
• Create space between different types of trees and plants, particularly highly flammable ones.
• Remove dead plants, particularly dried grasses, dead palm fronds, dead oleander.
• Consider replacing highly flammable trees (e.g., eucalyptus, cyprus, juniper, acacia, pine) and hedges (bamboo) with less flammable ones.
• Keep plants and trees hydrated.

Don’t forget to report any time or money spent on these projects. Reporting these investments helps us maintain our Firewise status, helps to track our community’s progress, makes our community eligible for grants, makes our community look better in the eyes of insurers, helps community leaders make informed decisions about future priorities, and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to being fire safe. Our community name is Las Canoas, Foothill, and Tierra Cielo Lanes).

Why it matters: Dual paned windows are better than single paned windows, but windows of all types can break if heat from wildfire is hot enough.
What to do: Fortunately, other measures can protect your home. Consider one or more of the following options:

Fire Shutters installed on the outside of your house can withstand 1,000-2,000°F+ radiant heat with minimal heat transfer to glass. Though the most expensive option, they provide a complete barrier against flying embers and debris protect window frames, screens, and surrounding materials. Depending on the type, they can be deployed manually, electronically, or automatically when heat rises above a certain temperature.
Laminate Film on windows reduces heat penetration and protects windows from exploding when the fire is greater than 250 degrees. Windows might shatter but the glass stays in one piece so embers cannot penetrate your home. 
External Shade Structures: Metal awnings, overhangs, or pergolas with fire-resistant materials create shadow zones that reduce direct radiant heat exposure.
Misting Systems: Fine water mist systems that activate during fires can cool glass surfaces and surrounding air. Many require pressurized water system and backup power.
Reflective Barriers: Temporary aluminum or reflective fabric barriers can be deployed when fire threat is imminent. They are inexpensive but require manual installation during a fire emergency.
Fire-Resistant Landscaping: Strategic placement of fire-resistant plants or hardscaping like rock walls, concrete barriers, or water features near windows create thermal breaks and reduce radiant heat intensity.

What our neighbors say: from neighbor Debbie: “We ordered ember-resistant mesh from wildfiredefensemesh.com and had SB Handyman put it over the windows on our garage doors. The guy who came (Jacob) did a great job. The mesh company also sells foundation and other vents with ember resistant screens."                                                                   

•  Contact Gustavo Agregdano from the Santa Barbara Fire Safe Council provides a FREE, thorough, and personal home and property evaluation that indicates where you are most vulnerable to wildfires. He is in high demand, so book an online appointment soon or contact Gustavo directly (gagredano@sbfiresafecouncil.org or text him at 805-252-6253).
• Concerned about power-outages during fire season? See this handout from Southern California Edison on alternative power options and options for people who need to keep medications cold.
• See our prior newsletters here.
• Get emergency notification alerts by signing up at ReadySBC
• Text our Community Leader Allen Weiss at 323-854-8916 to:
  • Sign up for our neighborhood's WhatsApp mobile emergency text messages
  • Receive reporting reminders about your time and money investments to keep your home and property safe from fire. Many things count!
• Have you had a positive experience with a company that keeps us safe from wildfires (e.g., tree trimming, gravel, vents, gutters)? Please share your recommendations here for possible inclusions in future newsletters.
• Prepare in advance for smoke and ash. Get tips on setting up a clean air room from the Air Pollution Control District.

    We'd love to know what you thought of today's newsletter so we can improve it.

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