Wildland Urban Interface Home Assessment (facsimile)
This unofficial Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Self Assessment 'tool' is on the web for discussion and educational purposes.
Fear of the unknown can make a home owner reluctant to have their property 'inspected'.
We hope this transparent page dispels any such fear, and that you will feel more confident after assessing your own property.
After you have done your self-prescribed cleanup, you may still want to consider signing up for a professional assessment to take you to the next level of awesomeness.
The page was made referring to a WUI form in Summer 2022. The actual form used for your assessment in the future may differ! The recomendations from several completed reports are given toward the end as examples.
Use this form at your own risk. Send your comments and suggestions via Contact Us below.
J Miller's comments here are indicated [comment - JM].
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To reduce the chances of embers entering the home, consider providing 1/8 inch or less screening over attic vents and foundation vents.
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Recommend cleaning gutters and roof valleys prior to fire season (May/June).
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Consider skirting the deck with a fire resistive skirt such as Hardy Board or provide screening that is 1/8 inch or less. Note: deck posts and skirting material should terminate to mineral soil (or concrete pads).
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At level 1 evacuation, remove all combustibles from the deck. This includes furniture, welcome mats and potted plants. If they can’t be moved inside, move them at least 30 feet from the house.
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Recommend removing all combustible storage from under the deck. Remember, the dirt below the deck should be mineral soil or decorative rock, never bark dust or mulch.
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Ensure chimneys are equipped with a spark arrester.
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Consider replacing cedar shake roofing with a composite shingle or metal roof.
Landscape Maintenance
Divided in to any Immediate Zone (0-5 feet), Intermediate Zone (5-30 feet, and optionally,
Extended Zone (30-100 feet),
Landscape Maintenance - Immediate Zone (0-5 feet)
Answer with Yes, No, N/A
Clear of Combustibles and debris
Overhanging branches trimmed: (10 feet from roofline)
Landscaping Fire Restive or non-combustible [Resistant? JM]
Landscape Maintenance [? - JM]
Fences attached to the structure:
Fences Combustible
Possible Suggestions that may get checked off:
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Consider providing a clear space down to mineral soil from the foundation out 1-5 feet.
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Consider removing all fuel immediately adjacent to the house prior to evacuation. This includes vegetation and combustible storage.
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Consider removing vegetation adjacent to the house or trim vegetation up to provide clearance between the soil and branches/leaves.
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Consider moving firewood storage to at least 30 feet from the house/garage/outbuilding.
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Consider trimming trees limbs back to provide 10 feet of clearance between the roof line and deck railing.
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Consider clearing a space down to mineral soil around the wooden fence that is 1 and 1⁄2 times the height of the surrounding fuel. This will protect the fence from a ground fire.
Landscape Maintenance - Intermediate Zone (5-30 feet)
Answer with Yes, No, N/A
Vegetation clear from under stationary propane tanks
Fuel breaks (driveway, walkway, paths)
Lawns and native grasses maintained to a max height of 4 inches
Ladder fuels removed from under trees
Trees have minimum 18 feet between crowns
Trees and shrubs limited to clusters
Possible Suggestions that may get checked off.
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Recommendation: limb trees up to provide 6-10 feet of clearance between the branches and the forest floor. Remember to measure from the end of the limb, away from the trunk of the tree.
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Consider removing all dead or dying trees and vegetation.
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Consider removing all ladder fuels that can carry the fire from the forest floor up into the trees. This includes ivy, saplings, brush, blackberries, and low hanging branches.
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Consider creating fuel breaks to break up the continuity of the fuel. This can be accomplished by installing and maintaining trails and walkways that are non-combustible (1/4 minus or decorative rock).
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Limit planting to islands of low growing, native, fire resistive plants.
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Propane tanks should have a cleared space down to mineral soil around and under the tank in all directions to at least 3 feet.
Landscape Maintenance - Extended Zone (30-100 feet)
Overall Category CHECKBOX for Not Applicable - □
Heavy accumulation of ground cover debris: Y/N/na
Small conifers growing between mature trees: Y/N/na
Trees within 30-60 feet of home have a minimum 12 feet separation between canopies: Y/N/na
Possible Suggestions that may get checked off:
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Consider removing large accumulations of ground cover and debris.
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Consider removing all dead or dying trees and vegetation.
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Consider removing all ladder fuels that can carry the fire from the forest floor up into the trees. This includes ivy, saplings, brush, blackberries, and low hanging branches.
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Consider installing and maintaining fuel breaks like trails and walkways that are non-combustible (¼ minus or decorative rock).
Example recommendations from real assessments
May want to consider trimming vegetation up "Bonsai" style to break up the fuels and disconnect the ground fuels from the larger trees. You can consider keeping anything that can burn away from the fence. Consider trimming the Maple back from the structure.
Consider skirting the attached shed, or ensure it is clear of combustibles underneath. The same for the other outbuildings, keeping vegetation away to protect them from embers and limbed up. Consider keeping Magnolia and Laurel as far back from home as possible.
Consider trimming the bushes up and away from the deck. If you want to keep the Rhody, consider keeping dry tinder material out from under it so that it's mineral soil or gravel around it.
You are doing a great job protecting your home from wildfire. Just keep trimming up vegetation to provide clearance from the forest floor. Try to keep fuels separate from each other, this breaks up the continuity of the fuels to make it difficult for fire to spread.
Consider prioritizing the gutter cleaning and the screening over the gable end and crawl space vents.
Consider prioritizing the first 1-5 feet from the foundation out and then move to the branch clearing from the roof line and trimming up from the forest floor.
You have great trails around your property, consider removing any combustible material from the trails. This will help to break up the continuity of the fuel.
You have a beautiful property. Remember defensible space is all about isolation and separation, isolate the fuels from one another and separate the fuels from the forest floor.
Recommendations: create an evacuation to-do list, perform a 360 evaluation at a 1-2 evacuation level to remove combustibles away from the house, before evacuating open fence gates
Recommendations: metal/non combustible fence post up against house, keep basement window well clear of debris and screen with 1/8th inch, create a break in ivy and fence, trim hedge next to front porch post
Recommendations: "bonsai" trim shrubs next to siding and windows, separate and isolate, remove bamboo over wiring, plastic away from house, keep pergola vine 1 ft from roof, replace plastic awning with metal, trim bamboo, remove holly
Recommend trimming rhododendron north side of house, especially trim up from ground. If evacuation, move combustibles away from house (hot tub cover, etc). Recommend that you trim back laurel from shed.
Recommend that you trim all trees 8-10' up from ground and ensure ladder fuels are trimmed. Recommend you trim all shrubs around house to create a non-combustible space around the house.
Recommend that if the screening on chimney is not a rated spark arrester, keep flue closed.
Recommend written evacuation plan. (Due to location and setting. --JM)
Consider leaving at level 2 instead of waiting for level 3. Remove anything near the home that can burn upon evacuating, such as lawn chair cushions, welcome mats, etc.
Notes from JM and PF&R educators
Consider forming "islands of Fuel". That is, gather and stack flammable material in one or more places removed from your buildings, and manage them there. (Rather that spread all over, with some near your buildings.)
Develop a plan for a possible evacuation — gathering things in the house, and organizing the yard into an even more fire-defensive state. (Firewise literature has Better Wording.)
Develop a step-by-step plan for the event of an evacuation.
Think about being Ready To Go at Level 1, and leaving at Level 2 — this because of limited egress routes that may quickly clog if everyone in our area waits till Level 3.
The benefit of having PF&R folks visit is that they can cite various principles that apply to your situation, and explain why things should be done. Examples: You want to keep a ground fire from advancing to the home, and keep plants pruned above the reach of a ground fire. They can identify 'ladder fuels' that may allow fire to reach up into trees and spread. Likewise, you want to avoid having dry needles (stuff) on your roof or in your gutters that can be ignited by firebrands. (Sparks can land on a roof, and skitter down into gutters.) And so on.
One last goodie: A deck with larger gaps between boards can allow sparks to fall through to the ground, rather than burning into a narrow dry crack. Dang!
